


The Sound of the Ocean

by gertie_flirty



Series: Listen and You Will Hear [2]
Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 36,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24913945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gertie_flirty/pseuds/gertie_flirty
Summary: Ranma and Akane are in love, and happily together. Which obviously means they'll never have problems again, right?. . . . right?
Relationships: Saotome Ranma/Tendou Akane
Series: Listen and You Will Hear [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1802869
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	1. The State of Things

"Ranma, it's time to wake up."

"Mmmrph."

"Ranma, come on, it's time."

"Five more minutes."

"I gave you five more minutes ten minutes ago."

"So you really gave me ten minutes. So I haven't had the five minutes yet. You owe me."

"Okay, if you're awake enough to argue with me, you're awake enough to get out of bed."

Ranma rolled over and pulled the covers down just enough to reveal his eyes. He looked up at Akane, who was sitting in bed next to him. He loved the way her hair looked first thing in the morning, tousled and sticking out in all directions.

He did not like how annoyed her expression was.

"But it's so warm."

"I know." She scooted down and took his hand, lightly intertwining her fingertips between his knuckles. "But you know if my dad finds you in here, he'll have us both inside of a church before noon."

"All right, all right," Ranma grumbled and threw the covers off fully. Still cranky, he sat up and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. With a stretch and a yawn, he rose to his feet, letting his toes dig into the fibers of the carpet. He scratched at his ribs and leaned over to kiss Akane.

"See you at breakfast?"

"See you at breakfast."

She always gave him a dreamy look after they kissed, her cheeks always a little pink from blushing. With a wink and a grin, he left out of the window. 

The roof tiles were freezing under his feet, and the drop of temperature made his leg ache. Colder atmospheres always caused him to feel all the metal in his bones holding his leg together. 

He muttered a few curse words and scampered over the roof to the other side of the house, quietly opening the window to his own room. His parents were still asleep, so he slid inside and took his place in his own futon.

Warm again. Maybe he could sleep for five more minutes. 

_ BRZZT. BRZZT. BRZZT. _

Ugh. His mother's alarm clock.

“Mmm, Ranma, time to wake up.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

* * *

“Ah, Akane, my only daughter still at home.”

“Good morning, Dad,” Akane said as she took her seat at the breakfast table. They had turned their normal table into a kotatsu and she relished the heat coming from underneath the blanket. 

“You’ll live at home forever, won’t you, Akane?” Soun folded his newspaper and looked at her with giant watering eyes. 

“Dad, you know I’ll be at university in like three months, right?”

“What? No, don’t leave me!” Soun pleaded. He looked up as Ranma and Nodoka entered the room, carrying plates of breakfast food. “Ranma!”

“What’s up?”

“You have to convince Akane not to go to university!”

“Why would I do that?” asked Ranma, as he took a seat next to Akane. “I want her to go.”

“How cruel,” said Soun. “Won’t you miss your fiancee, even a little?”

“I, uh--” Ranma looked down at Akane. He would, of course. But they still hadn’t told their parents about how they were together, at least not explicitly. He was pretty sure that his mother had guessed the truth by now, but was giving them space. And their fathers were certainly suspicious. 

Ah. This was a trap. 

“She can do whatever she wants,” Ranma said, picking up his rice bowl.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Dad, why are you being like this today?”

“Nabiki isn’t coming home this weekend. She said she might not come until the spring!” Soun’s bottom lip quivered. “And Kasumi hasn’t been over since Christmas."

“She’s married, Dad.”

“No excuse,” Soun muttered. “I just want all my children in the same place.”

“Dad, we were all together for Christmas,” Akane said. “Now, can I please eat before I have to leave for school?”

“Children today have no respect for their parents,” Soun grumbled, disappearing behind his paper. 

“Ranma, what are your plans for today?” Nodoka asked. “Do you have classes?”

“Just one,” he said, his mouth full of food. He swallowed. “A ladies self-defense class this afternoon.”

“Ah, yes,” said Akane. “The one where you went to the mall and flirted with all those housewives until they signed up?”

“I didn’t flirt, I just handed out flyers,” Ranma said. “I can’t help my natural charisma just shines through.”

“Does it?” asked Akane, bemused. 

“ExxxxCUUUuuuuuSSE meeeEEEEEEEE!”

An unfamiliar voice came from the entryway. The family looked around the table at one another, blinking in surprise as a dowdy woman who appeared to be in her forties walked into the room. 

“I’m looking for Saotome-sensei!” she announced, hands on her hips. 

“That’s me,” said Ranma, sighing as he got to his feet. The kotatsu had been so warm. “You’re a little early for the self defense class though.”

“I am certainly not here to take a class from you! This is about my son, Yusuke.”

“Oh, that.” Ranma winced at the memory of a certain twelve year old from his Friday evening class.

“He claims that you called him, and I quote, ‘a little shit.’”

Akane squeezed her lips together to prevent a laugh from escaping. Nodoka looked furious. 

“I mean--” Ranma spread his hands wide. “He bit me.”

“I believe you are training him in the Anything Goes fighting style, are you not?”

“She’s got you there, boy--”

“Shut up, Pop!” Ranma barked at his father. He turned back to Yusuke’s mother. “Listen, it’s not just that he bit me. He’s also very lazy and doesn’t follow directions. I was trying to prevent him from pulling his shoulder out of his socket.”

“So you decided to verbally abuse a twelve year old child?!”

“‘Verbally abuse?!’ That’s nuts. Look, your kid just sucks, that’s not my problem. I don’t want him in my class anymore.”

“Excuse me?! I will be telling the other parents about this!”

“Go ahead, they think your kid sucks too.”

_ SMACK! _

The woman slapped Ranma in the face, turned on her heel, and marched out of the house. 

Ranma sighed and sank back to his seat to finish his breakfast. He took several bites, chewing loudly while everyone stared at him in silence. 

“What?” he demanded finally.

“Ranma, I cannot believe you,” his mother said. 

“I can,” sighed Akane. 

“What, Mom?”

“Can you really afford to be turning away students like that?”

He shrugged. “I told you I got that self-defense course lined up. Plenty of people in that. I can afford to lose one crappy kid.”

“Ranma, if you don’t get a handle on your patience, you’ll get a bad reputation and you’ll lose a lot more than one student,” Nodoka said. “Not only that, the way you spoke to that woman was completely disrespectful.”

“Well, she just burst in here to yell at me--”

Underneath the blanket of the kotatsu, Akane took his hand and gave it a strong squeeze. Ranma instantly stopped talking and looked over at her. 

“If you’ll excuse me,” Akane said, releasing his hand and standing up. “I have to get going to school.”

“Of course, have a good day, Akane,” said Nodoka.

“Bye Auntie, Uncle, Dad.” She let her gaze linger a little longer on her fiancee. “Bye Ranma.”

She smiled at him, and it still made his heart skip a beat.

He goofily gave her a grin in return. “Bye Akane.”

And she was gone.

Ranma stared after her in the direction she had left, hoping she remembered her gloves. It was cold outside and she almost always forgot them.

“We’re not done with this conversation, Ranma.”

His mother’s voice had grown stern again. Reluctantly, he turned back to her.

“What do you want me to say, Mom?”

“I don’t want you to say anything to me. I want you to apologize to that woman.”

“No way!” said Ranma. He slammed his bowl down on the table and stood up. “Look, I’m the one teaching classes, so I’m the one handling students. Stay out of my business!”

“Don’t talk to your mother like that!”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Ranma yelled. “You weren’t around for most of my life, so don’t start trying to tell me how to live now!”

When he saw the tears forming in his mother’s eyes, he instantly regretted what he said. But he was far too stubborn to back down, so he turned around and stormed off to the dojo. He had never fought with his mother before, and he definitely didn’t want her to see the tears forming in his own eyes as he turned away.

* * *

"This is the place, isn't it?"

"Of course it is, we're all here aren't we?"

"Ooh, I can't wait to see sensei in his gi! I love the way a gi looks on a man!"

A crowd of about twenty women of varying ages were gathered inside the Tendo dojo. While some were dressed in sensible and comfortable sweats, others had chosen much more revealing and tighter fitting workout gear. Giddy energy moved throughout the room as they eagerly awaited their teacher.

When the door opened, they were sorely disappointed.

Ranma was in his female form, but still wearing his normal gi. It completely dwarfed him when he was like this, making him look even more petite than he already was.

"Good afternoon ladies!" he sang out as he took his place near the far wall, in front of the class. "Now you may be wondering--"

"No fair, sensei!" A woman named Yumiko whined. "We didn't know you would be teaching us as a girl!"

"Yeah!" agreed another woman. "We signed up for this thinking you would be a boy!"

"You mean--you guys know it's me?"

"Of course we do!" Yumiko stomped her feet. "We've only been watching you change back and forth all over town for years."

"Yeah, I still don't get how it works," piped up a third woman. "Something with water?"

"Cold water makes him a girl, hot water makes him a boy," called another voice in the crowd.

"Oohhhh. That explains so much."

"Anyway, sensei, we wanted a boy teacher," Yumiko said, crossing her arms.

Ranma gritted his teeth. "Look, I'm a girl right now because I thought it would be beneficial to our lesson. If you're just here to ogle, feel free to walk out the door."

Five women immediately left.

Ranma sighed. "Okay, here's the deal. I am lucky enough to know how guys attack, and how a woman can defend herself against attacks. So to teach you how to defend yourself as women, I decided this form might be a little more helpful."

The women in the room shuffled awkwardly, but no one argued.

"All right then." Ranma smiled. "Let's begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a spotify playlist to go along with the story, mostly because I like making them:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lM5cTvsocvppk6m0DDiWw?si=05vOMOmzQhyh-oq9z5uqIA


	2. We've Been Here Before

"Excuse me."

Hiroshi looked over at the young man standing outside of the school gates. He had shaggy hair, a large rucksack, and an old winter coat two sizes too big that had been patched several times. The school day had just ended, and students were milling about, making after school plans.

"Uh, yeah?" Hiroshi replied to the young man.

"Where is--Furinkan High School?"

"Oh boy, this seems familiar," said Hiroshi as he jabbed his thumb backward at the sign next to him that read FURINKAN HIGH SCHOOL.

The young man looked up through the hair that nearly covered his eyes and broke into a tearful smile.

"Finally! I found it! Now tell me," the boy said, grabbing Hiroshi by the front of his coat. "I'm looking for a martial artist that goes here. Probably the strongest one in your school."

Hiroshi, still in the other boy's grip, rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder.

"Oi! Akane!"

Akane was standing about fifteen feet away, chatting with Yuka and Sayuri. At the sound of her name, she looked up curiously and walked over.

"What's up?"

Hiroshi, again, still being held up by his shirt, pointed at the mysterious young man. "This guy's looking for you."

"Oh?" she said. "For me?"

The young man dropped Hiroshi and turned to Akane angrily.

"No!" He yelled. "I'm looking for the strongest martial artist in this school!"

"That's her, bud," said Hiroshi, wiping off the front of his coat.

Akane smiled.

"No, I'm looking for--" The young man cast his eyes around wildly, searching for the words. "A martial artist, about this tall, very strong, a boy, has a thing on his head."

"Hmm, like a pigtail?" Akane asked, trying not to laugh.

"Maybe, I don't know what it's called. But he goes to school here."

"Well, I suppose you're looking for Ranma then," said Akane. "But he doesn't go here anymore."

"What? No! I came all this way!"

"Well, I can take you to him."

"You would do that?" The boy's eyes sparkled with appreciation.

"Sure, come on," said Akane, gesturing for him to follow. "See you Monday, Hiroshi."

"See ya, Akane."

As Akane walked down the street with the young man, she pulled her scarf up around the bottom of her face and shoved her hands underneath her armpits, causing her school bag to stick out at an awkward angle. She could curse herself for forgetting her gloves.

"So what's your name?" she asked the young man.

"Koji."

"Ah. I'm Akane, nice to meet you."

He grunted in return.

"Can I ask why you're looking for Ranma?"

Koji glared straight ahead. "He destroyed my happiness."

"Sounds like him," Akane mused. 

Arriving at home, Akane dumped most of her things in the entryway and headed towards the living room.

"Ranma--oh, there you are."

"What's up, Akane?" Ranma had just come out of the bath and was dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, a towel around his neck. "How was school?"

"It was fine. But this guy is looking for you. Says you destroyed his happiness."

"Oh, I see," Ranma said. He gave Koji a long, appraising look. "So what did I do? Your girlfriend fall in love with me?"

"No--"

"Ah, I know, I accidentally jumped on your head and you fell and got mud on your new suit and you were going to a job interview but they didn't hire you because of the muddy suit?"

"No--"

"Hmm, did I drop a piece of my sandwich while you were out walking your dog and she smelled it and broke the leash and ran away for a bit but then came back and now you have fifteen puppies you can't even give away?"

"No!" Koji yelled. "Those are all insane scenarios!"

Ranma shrugged. "They've all happened to me."

"Regardless," growled Koji. "I've never seen you before in my life."

"I thought you said he was looking for me," Ranma said to Akane.

"I thought he was."

"No!" yelled Koji, frantically. "A boy! A martial artist! Thing on his head!"

"Not this?" Ranma asked, flipping his pigtail up.

"No, a thing! A thing! On his head!" Koji gestured with his hands in a circle around his skull.

"Like a bandana," Ranma and Akane said in unison as they looked at each other in realization. 

"I get it," said Ranma. "You're looking for Ryoga."

"Who's looking for me?"

Providence caused Ryoga, lost on another training journey, to wander into the Tendo living room at that exact moment. 

Koji spun around at the sound of the voice. His eyes blazed with recognition and hatred.

"You!"

"Me?"

Before anyone could say another word, Koji lunged forward, thrusting some sort of retractable, metal, whip-like weapon at Ryoga. 

Ryoga dodged and the metal made contact with the living room wall, causing a huge dent.

"Hey, I just cleaned in here!" Akane grabbed Koji's wrist and twisted his arm up behind his back. "If you're gonna fight, do it somewhere else!"

"Ow ow ow--fine! Just let me go!"

Akane released Koji with disgust. He immediately hunched over on the floor, pulled pencils and paper out of his pack and quickly scribbled something. Standing again, he thrust the paper at Ryoga.

"Here! Meet me at this empty lot at 10 PM! And don't be late! Prepare to die!"

With that, Koji turned and left, slamming the front door behind him.

"Well, at least he didn't go through the wall," Akane sighed.

Ryoga looked down at the paper he had been handed. It was a very crude map, a literal X marking the location of the proposed duel.

"So who was that guy?" Ranma asked him.

"I have no idea," replied Ryoga. "I've never seen him before in my life."

"Well, don't worry pal. I'll make sure you get to your duel to the death on time."

"Gee, thanks Ranma," Ryoga growled, rolling his eyes.

“Ooh!” Akane clasped her hands together in excitement. “Let’s spar! It will be good practice!”

“I definitely want in on this!” Ranma agreed. 

“Yes! A three way battle!” Akane danced back and forth on her toes. 

Ryoga frowned. “You probably shouldn’t refer to it as a--you know what, forget it. Let’s spar.”

“Yay!”

* * *

“Oof!”

As Ryoga hit the ground on his back for the twelfth time, he really started to regret his agreement to practice with Ranma and Akane.

“You really leave yourself open too much, Ryoga-kun.”

“You’re never gonna beat this guy if you keep letting your guard down.”

Ryoga didn’t reply, but merely stared up at the ceiling petulantly. Ranma and Akane looked down at him, both smirking. Over the last few months, they had been training together constantly. They even started to dress alike--both were now adorned in warm sweats since it was so cold in the dojo. 

He stood up with a groan. “You know, I used to think this whole ‘couple who spars together’ schtick was kind of cute. But it’s definitely starting to become very annoying.”

Akane’s smile faded. “You think I’m annoying, Ryoga-kun?”

She turned away from him, tears in her eyes. Ryoga instinctively reached out to touch her shoulder.

“Ah, Akane-san, I didn’t mean it that that wa---”

“An opening!”

She grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her head. Ryoga attempted to land on his feet, but Ranma was crouched on the ground right behind his landing spot, causing Ryoga to trip, fall, and hit the ground again.

“Stupid lousy Anything Goes School,” he grumbled, once more climbing to his feet. 

“Don’t disrespect the school,” said Ranma, putting his hands on his hips. “It teaches you to deal with anything.”

“Anything? Only you two and your crazy parents follow this insane version of martial arts.”

“Not true. I have about--” Ranma quickly counted on his fingers. “Forty students right now.”

“Twenty of them are middle aged women learning self-defense,” said Akane.

“Anything Goes self-defense,” specified Ranma, pointing at the air with his index finger.

“And the other twenty are children.”

“Gotta get ‘em early if you wanna teach ‘em right.”

“Neither of you are actually helping me!” Ryoga yelled in frustration. “I’m only going to be fighting this guy one on one, anyway.”

“But he had that weird whip thing though,” said Ranma. 

“Yeah, what was that thing?” asked Akane. “Are you sure you don’t remember him, Ryoga-kun?”

Ryoga pursed his lips and crossed his arms. He looked up. He looked down, resting his head in his hand. He looked back up at Akane.

“No idea.”

“You know, this all seems really familiar,” said Ranma. 

The dojo door slid open at that moment to reveal Nodoka. 

“Akane? It’s time for dinner.”

“Oh, thanks Auntie. We’ll be right there.”

Nodoka made eye contact with Ranma. Neither spoke, but simply made identical frowning expressions and flared up with an intense, rageful aura while glaring at each other.

Then she turned to Ryoga, the aura faded, and she smiled. “Ryoga-kun, will you be joining us for dinner?”

“Uh, sure. Thanks for the invite.”

“Of course. Happy to have you.” With a small nod, she turned and walked away.

Ryoga looked back at Ranma in confusion. “What the hell was that?”

“What happened with you and your mom?” asked Akane.

“Nothing,” Ranma muttered, still frowning.

She flicked him in the temple. “Don’t lie!”

“Ow! All right, I’ll tell you, just later, okay?”

Akane wrinkled her nose, but agreed. “Okay.”

* * *

The atmosphere at dinner was so chilly that if it weren’t for the kotatsu, everyone might have frozen to death. Nodoka had brought all the dishes to the table by the time the three teenagers entered the room. As they took their seats, she handed them each a bowl of rice.

Ranma’s bowl had exactly three grains of rice on the bottom. He didn’t eat them, instead choosing to set his bowl down and silently fume. He and his mother continued their glaring contest from earlier.

“So, Akane,” Soun began awkwardly. “How was school today?”

“Oh,” Akane looked over at him in surprise. She had been keeping a concerned look on Ranma and his mother. “Me? Well--”

“Ranma certainly wouldn’t know how school was, now would he?” asked Nodoka icily.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Ranma replied.

“Well, I can’t deny it’s a disappointment to have a dropout for a son.”

“Yeah, well, it’s also a disappointment to have a mother who looks for any excuse to have her son kill himself,” Ranma shot back. 

Akane covered her mouth with her hand. “Ranma--”

“Forget it. I’m done.” Ranma slammed the table with his palms and stood up. “Thanks for the meal, I guess.”

He marched out of the room without looking back.

Akane turned to Nodoka. Her face was pale and she looked heartbroken. 

Genma reached out his hand and placed it on his wife’s shoulder. “Dear--”

She shook her head. “No, no, it’s all right. I’m just--excuse me.”

She, too, stood and left the room, although she headed in a different direction than Ranma had gone. 

Silence fell around the remaining diners. 

After several minutes, Ryoga said, “This is the most awkward I’ve ever felt in my life.”

“Honestly? Same,” said Akane. 

“What should I do?” asked Genma. “Comfort my wife, or yell at Ranma?”

“Comfort your wife,” said Soun. 

“I mean, it is kind of all your fault, isn’t it?” Akane said to Genma. “You’re the one who made that stupid promise in the first place.”

“I tried everything I could to get out of it!” Genma declared, throwing up his hands in helplessness. 

“You’re not making the case you think you are,” replied Akane. 

“Fine, fine,” Genma moaned. “I’ll go talk to her.”

As Genma left, Soun turned to Akane.

“And aren’t you going to go comfort Ranma?”

“Me?” Akane swallowed a mouthful of rice. “Why would I do that?”

Soun narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know, Akane, why would you?”

She narrowed her eyes right back. She was well aware he was trying to trick her into admitting she and Ranma were together. “I don’t know, Dad, why would I?”

“Hmm, I couldn’t possibly imagine why.”

“Funny, I couldn’t imagine why either.” 

“I’m done,” Ryoga said, setting down his empty bowl. “Come on, Akane, it’s almost time.”

She looked up at the clock. “Ah, you’re right! Bye Dad, see ya later!”

“See you,” Soun mumbled as the two teenagers took off. Left alone at the table, he gave the remaining dishes a gleeful look. “Well, at least I can eat in peace for once.”

* * *

Ranma sat on the roof, arms crossed, his muscles tight. He tried to ignore the cold metal tiles under his rear, the cutting wind that caused a surge of pain to shoot through his leg. Every word he and his mother had exchanged replayed itself over and over in his head, making him angrier with every repetition. He dug his fingers into his biceps, not only out of frustration but in an effort to keep warm. 

“Ranma!”

He looked over the edge of the roof. Akane and Ryoga were standing on the ground, looking up at him. She was wearing her parka and holding a small rectangular box by its handle with one hand, and Ranma’s coat with the other. She lifted the coat up and waved at him.

“Come on! It’s almost time for Ryoga-kun’s fight!”

“All right.”

Ranma hopped down easily and landed next to her. 

“Here’s your coat.”

“Thanks,” he said, slipping it on. It helped, a little, but there was a lingering ache in his leg. “No coat for you, Ryoga?”

“Too bulky, can’t fight in it.”

“Fair enough.”

The three teens began to head towards their destination. Akane wrapped her scarf around her face, covering up her mouth and nose. Ranma pulled his scarf out of the pocket of his coat, where he usually kept it bunched up. Wrapping it around his face wasn’t as effective. 

“Ranma, you still have that old thing?”

“Of course I do, you made it for me,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Aw,” Akane said. She sank her face deeper into her scarf, but he could tell she was blushing. The sight brought a smile to his lips for the first time in a while. 

"Ah, here we are," Ranma said as they arrived at the entrance to the empty lot that had been designated by Koji on his hastily scrawled map.

"No one's here," said Ryoga. "Sure this is the right place?"

"Pretty sure," Akane said, pulling the map out of her pocket and showing it to Ranma. 

"Looks right to me--"

"PREPARE TO DIE!"

From behind, a long, mechanical whip soared down from above, crashing into the dirt as the teenagers jumped away. They landed in sync and turned to face a heaving Koji.

_ Kkrrrrrrt. _ The whip retracted into itself as Koji pulled it back.

"Hey man!" said Ranma cheerily.

"The two of you are not part of this," Koji said to Ranma and Akane. "Why are you here?"

"To prevent this bozo from getting lost, for one," Ranma replied, casually leaning an elbow on Ryoga's shoulder.

"And I brought the first aid kit for when he kicks your teeth in!" Akane added, beaming and lifting up the box she was holding.

"You would just automatically assume that I would lose?!" demanded Koji.

"Yes," replied Ranma and Akane in unison.

Unable to help himself, Ryoga smiled and turned to them. "Aw, thanks for the support guys!"

"No problem, bud," Ranma said and patted him on the back.

"Yeah, we believe in you, Ryoga-kun!"

"ENOUGH!"

Koji thrust the whip at them again. Ranma and Ryoga jumped one way, Akane another. She took a place at the far side of the lot. After placing the first aid kit on the ground by her feet, she leaned against the wall to watch.

As Ranma and Ryoga landed, the dust from the impact of the whip cleared.

"Hey man," said Ranma. "Can you at least tell us why you're so mad?"

"Why?" asked Koji through gritted teeth as he retracted his whip. "You want to know why?!"

"Yeah, I just asked, didn't I?"

"Very well." Koji suddenly took a seat in the dirt, cross legged.

Confused but curious, Ranma and Ryoga sat similarly a few feet across from him.

"It's a very sad story," began Koji. "My father and I ran a small clock and watch repair shop in our town. It wasn't much, but it was ours, and we were happy. And then one day, two years ago, a monster came calling."

"Monster?" asked Ranma. 

" _ Him _ ," said Koji, pointing ominously at Ryoga, who looked more confused than ever. "He burst through the wall of our shop, and I'll never forget the words he said."

Ranma and Ryoga leaned forward in anticipation.

Koji's eyes shone with the heat of revenge.

"'WHERE IS FURINKAN HIGH SCHOOL?'"

Ryoga scrunched up his face. "Ah. I see."

"We asked him, why us? Why here? But he did not answer, merely plowed through, leaving us to deal with the wreckage."

Ranma smiled and tried to break the tension. "Well, he's a very focused guy--"

"There's more," said Koji somberly. "We repaired our shop. Things were peaceful. But then three months later, it happened again. And then again. And again! Always the wall. Always the same question. After the sixth such incident, we could no longer afford repairs. Our insurance dropped us. We lost our shop, and then our home. And worst of all--worst of all--"

Koji clutched at his head and pulled on his hair as he screamed, "My girlfriend left me!!!!"

He fell face forward into the dirt, sobbing.

Ryoga stared down at him, confused about what to say. Ranma, however, had a giant, goofy, open mouthed grin spreading across his face.

"It, uh, was an accident?" offered Ryoga cautiously.

"That's all you have to say?!" Koji sharply looked up and got to his feet, the other boys following suit. "For the past year, I've tracked your movements. They've taken me to hell and back. All I knew was that you were some kind of martial artist, and you went to Furinkan High School, and you left a trail of destruction in your wake."

"Well, I don't actually go to--"

"Silence! Now you pay!"

Koji thrust the whip at them once more. Ryoga and Ranma jumped over it, and while they were in midair, Ryoga noticed the look of elation on Ranma's face.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Don't you see, man?" Ranma shouted with joy. "You have your own Ryoga!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ryoga demanded as their feet hit the dirt.

"Oh, bro, come on!" Ranma made frantic gestures back and forth in the directions of Koji and Ryoga. "Like, come on!"

"You know what? Just stay out of this!" Ryoga punched Ranma in the face, sending him flying across the lot.

Ranma landed with a crash against the wall next to Akane. He flipped forward onto his feet. Brushing the dirt off his jacket, he muttered, "Fine, I'd rather watch anyway."

"Great, I brought snacks!" Akane pulled a bag out of her pocket.

"Ooh, star candy!" Ranma said, happily accepting.

Ryoga once again evaded another attack from Koji. The whip undulated like a mechanical snake as it was retracted once again. 

“Look,” said Ryoga, holding up his hands in a helpless position. “We don’t have to fight. I can help you solve your problems. I’m an expert problem solver.”

“Sure are, bud!” Ranma yelled while cupping his hands around his mouth. 

“See?” said Ryoga. “And I used to hate that guy. Kinda still do, a little.”

“The only way you can help me is by dying!” Koji screamed, once more unleashing his whip in Ryoga’s direction. This time, he controlled its direction, causing it to change course halfway through its arc. It flicked sideways and struck Ryoga in the lower back, knocking him forward a few feet, but not over. 

Ryoga absorbed the hit with a grunt, then turned and regained his stance.

“All right,” he sighed. “I guess I have to get serious.”

“How did you withstand a direct hit?” Koji asked, pulling the whip in once more. “I’ve shattered boulders into tiny pieces with this thing!”

“Oh, you need a whip to do that?” asked Ryoga. “Cute.”

Enraged, Koji attacked with the whip again, sending it flying with force towards Ryoga’s head.

This time, Ryoga caught it. 

The metal pieces and wires at the end wrapped around his hand and wrist, and he firmed up his grasp on it, pulling it taut. Koji yanked at the handle, but Ryoga ground his heels into the dirt and didn’t move an inch. 

Koji then pressed the button on the whip handle that forced it to retract, pulling Ryoga forward until they were inches apart. 

“Oh, he brought Ryoga in close, not good,” said Ranma from the sidelines.

“Always a mistake,” agreed Akane, popping candy into her mouth. 

Ryoga grinned as he pulled his forearm in tight, closing the gap between him and Koji even more. Koji’s eyes blazed with fury. Ryoga pulled his other arm back, gathering force for a punch. As his fist connected with the other boy’s face, Koji released his grip on the whip handle and flew back several feet. Ranma and Akane both winced as he hit the earth with a thud. 

Ryoga unwound the remaining bit of metal from his arm and tossed it aside. 

“Give it up, Koji. Your one trick is useless.”

“Heh,” Koji chuckled from the ground. He slammed his palms down and pushed himself to his feet. “Trust me, I have more than one trick!”

He widened his feet and braced himself into a ready stance. With a deep breath, he ran forward at Ryoga, unleashing a flurry of fast-paced punches that were nearly too quick to see. 

“Ah, he’s not too bad,” said Ranma. “But look--he doesn’t shift his weight from his back foot quick enough. Slows him down.” 

“You’re really getting into this whole teaching thing, huh Ranma?” Akane asked.

He looked down at her and grinned. “The teaching is the easy part. It’s the students that are difficult.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.” He noticed she had her hands tucked under her armpits. “Akane, did you forget your gloves again?”

She looked away from him with a small pout. “Maybe.” 

“I don’t know how you keep doing this.” He gently pulled her hands out away from her body. He unzipped his coat a few inches and stuck her hands inside against his chest, then held the top of his jacket closed over them. 

She giggled. “Ranma, you don’t have to to do that.”

“Well, I gotta keep you warm.” 

Ryoga landed on his back in the dirt next to them. They both looked down curiously. 

“You need any help, pal?” Ranma asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ryoga growled, leaping to his feet. “I let my guard down for only a moment. It won’t happen again.”

“Good on ya.”

Ryoga launched himself forward at Koji, spinning a kick into the other boy’s stomach. Koji staggered backwards, bending over in pain. This gave Ryoga time to move in close again, and he began laying out a series of heavy-handed punches that Koji struggled desperately to block or evade as he was forced backwards across the lot. Ryoga landed quite a few hits, resulting in several bruises and scrapes blossoming across Koji's face.

When they reached the far side of the lot, Koji's back bumped up against an electric pole. Ryoga raised his fist for one last strike.

"This ends now!"

Koji ducked.

Ryoga's fist hit the pole, causing the concrete to crack and break in half. It fell forward, landing on top of Ryoga's head.

Ryoga fell to his side, unconscious.

"Ah, well, that's a bummer," Ranma said.


	3. Not Even a Question

"I can't believe it."

Koji, in shock, sat in the middle of the lot as Akane tended to his wounds. She swabbed at his cuts with alcohol pads from the first aid kit before tenderly applying bandages.

"Believe what?" she asked as she rummaged through the kit.

"I can't believe I defeated him," Koji said in awe. "Ryoga."

"You didn't," Akane huffed.

"What?"

"See that guy over there?" She pointed over at Ranma, who was standing a few feet away carrying an unconscious Ryoga piggyback style. "That's Ranma Saotome. He's the best martial artist in the world."

"I don't--"

"But Ryoga--" She slammed the kit shut. "Is a very, very close number two. And if he hadn't knocked himself out, you'd be nothing but a crater in the ground right now."

Ranma grinned. Only Akane could so carefully patch up some guy's wounds while also tearing him a new one.

Not waiting for Koji's response, Akane stood and turned to Ranma. "You ready?"

"Yeah, sure." He gave Koji a friendly wave. "See ya later, man."

"Y-yeah." Koji, confused, returned the gesture and Ranma and Akane left the empty lot.

"Ugh, I'm pretty sure this guy has packed on a few," Ranma said, shifting Ryoga's weight on his back.

"If he did, it's all muscle," Akane replied. Unencumbered except for the first aid kit, she kept a few steps ahead of Ranma as they walked. "Did you see how heavy those punches he was throwing were?"

"Yeah, and he was still holding back," said Ranma. "Crazy."

"Maybe he's coming for your crown next, Ranma."

"Pfft, he wishes," Ranma muttered. He studied Akane from the back. "Hey, you know you're number three, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said I'm number one, and Ryoga's number two. But you're definitely number three."

"I guess that's a compliment, coming from you."

"It is!"

They walked a little farther in easy silence. Ranma kept his eyes on her the entire time. Her hair, the ends bouncing along the top of her scarf. The lines of her jacket as her hands reached behind her back, letting the first aid kit dangle by its handle from her ungloved fingers. Her boots with thick socks sticking over the top, tapping softly on the sidewalk.

The sky was black and cold. Ranma exhaled and could see his breath. Every few feet, they passed under the dim glow of a streetlight that gave no warmth. The streets were quiet, other than the sound of their own footsteps and Akane humming quietly to herself.

"Hey, Akane?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's get married."

She stopped.

She turned and looked over her shoulder, wide eyed. How like Ranma, to propose this way. Walking down the street, on a cold winter night, Ryoga unconscious on his back, while she wasn't even looking at him. And he didn't actually ask, either, simply suggested it in such a casual manner.

"Okay," she said.

"Really?" The corner of his mouth pulled up into a grin. 

She smiled. Nodded. "Really!"

He jogged a few steps to catch up with her. "No, I mean like, right now."

"Right now?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well, first of all, that." She pointed at Ryoga, drooling sonorously onto Ranma's shoulder.

"We can drop him off at Tofu-sensei's."

"Secondly," she continued, walking again as he hurried to keep pace. "It's the middle of the night."

"First thing in the morning, then."

"Thirdly, we're only eighteen. We would need our parents there."

This brought a frown to Ranma's face. "Well, I definitely don't want those guys there. Our dads would be insufferable. They don't deserve to see us get married."

"What about your mom? You don't want her there either?"

Ranma glowered. "No."

"All right," Akane said softly. "Then we'll have to wait."

They walked another block in silence. Ranma pondered their dilemma and an idea started to take shape.

"Akane," he said. "If we could get married, right away, without our parents, you would, right? You would marry me?"

She paused and looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Yes. Absolutely."

An unexpected blush spread over his cheeks, but he smiled and looked up at the sky.

"Good."

He didn't feel cold anymore.

* * *

A very sleepy Tofu took Ryoga off their hands once they reached the clinic. Ranma held Akane's hand tightly the rest of the way home.

When they reached the entryway, the house was dark and quiet, the adults in bed long ago. Akane had barely slipped off her boots before Ranma grabbed her waist, spinning her around and kissing her deeply.

Surprised but pleased, she leaned into him, stretching upwards on her tiptoes. His strong arms wrapped around her back, pulling her even closer to his chest, their jackets crinkling as they rubbed against each other. 

They parted, staring into each other's eyes and breathing heavily. Sinking back onto her heels, she clasped her hands around his neck as she smiled shyly up at him.

"Are you coming to bed?"

"In a few minutes. I won't be long."

"Okay," she whispered, blushing slightly. Impulsively, she bounced up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning away and dashing up the stairs.

Ranma watched her go with a wistful smile. As she disappeared around the corner of the hallway, he let out a deep breath and turned to the phone on the table in the entryway.

Taking one more breath, he picked up the receiver and dialed a number.

* * *

"You want how much?!"

Nabiki's voice on the other end of the line lost its initial sleepy tone and took on one of shock.

"I don't know if that's the exact amount." Ranma scratched a spot behind his left ear with one finger. "But I think that would be enough."

"Ranma-kun--"

"I know it's a lot, Nabiki. But I can pay you back. It might take a while, but classes are good, and we hardly ever have repair bills anymore--"

"That's not the problem, Ranma-kun. I would absolutely make sure you paid me back--if I had that kind of money, which I don't."

"You don't? Even after all you put us through?"

"I used all that money to pay tuition and rent this shithole apartment."

"Oh. I see."

"Ah, you sound so sad. All right." A sigh. "I have an idea--damn, I was trying to save this, but--I think I know a way to help you out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Guess I'm getting soft."

"Thank you, Nabiki!"

"Pah, I didn't want to come home already. I'll be there first thing in the morning. Can you wait that long?"

"Yeah, absolutely! Thanks again!"

_ Click. _

She hung up.

Ranma, his heart light, set the receiver in the cradle. Whistling, he stuck his hands in his pockets and headed upstairs, where Akane was waiting.


	4. Aeroplane Over the Sea

“Honestly the hardest part of all this,” Nabiki began, as she yawned, standing in the entryway with Ranma shortly after dawn. “Was getting you and Akane passports. In less than six hours! I amazed even myself with that one.”

“Thanks again, Nabiki,” Ranma said. “I owe you for my life. What’s the total?”

“Oh, you don’t owe me a single yen,” Nabiki smirked as she handed him a thick envelope. “Or dime, I suppose.”

“Really? Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Kuno-chan.”

“Kuno?” Ranma nearly dropped the envelope. “He--you told him--and he just--”

Nabiki laughed. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him it was for you. I told him I was in trouble.”

Ranma narrowed his eyes in concern. “Are you in trouble?”

“No, I--” She gestured with her hand, making a round shape over her belly. “Told him I was  _ in trouble. _ ” 

“Oh.  _ Oh _ . Wait, are you--” He mimicked the gesture. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nabiki scoffed. “I simply turned up at his dorm room, a tearful maiden betrayed by a lover, asking for his help.”

“And he just--gave you money?”

“Well, first he offered to marry me.”

Ranma’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

“Oh yes. He’s an idiot, but a chivalrous idiot.”

“And then?”

“And then, I convinced him that wasn’t the right choice. So he offered to kill the guy who did it instead.”

“Sounds like him.”

“Doesn’t it? And then, when I finally talked him down off of  _ that  _ ledge, I asked him for money for a procedure, and boy, did he pay up.”

“Wow, I--” Ranma fiddled with the edges of the envelope. “Is that, like, an okay thing to do? I know it’s Kuno, but--”

“Come on, Ranma. Think of everything that guy has done to you, me, Akane, and tell me he doesn’t deserve to get swindled at least a little bit.”

“Fair enough.” He thumbed the envelope again. “So why did you do this for me?”

“I didn’t. It’s for Akane.”

Ranma frowned at her skeptically. 

“I mean it! She’s my sister, and I--well. She was really hurting, while you were in the hospital. When we took that train ride home, I just--she loves you a lot. And it reminded me of my mom, I guess. Stop making me say corny stuff!”

“Sorry. You’re usually not this nice to me.”

“Don’t get used to it. Even if you are about to be my brother-in-law.”

He grinned. “So what’s in here, exactly?”

“Ah, I am proud of getting all this together. Passports. Two direct flight round-trip tickets. Reservations at an all inclusive resort, four days, three nights. And five thousand dollars, U.S. cash.”

Ranma frowned. “Is that a lot of money?” 

“Yes.”

“Cool.”

“All right, your flight leaves at nine tonight, so probably be at the airport at eight, which means you have to leave the house by seven--”

“Does it take that long to get to the airport?” 

“I’m a punctual person, Ranma. And so is Akane.”

“Fine, fine. You’re not gonna tell anybody where we’re going, are you?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Really, you promise? Not even your dad?”

“Hmph,” Nabiki sniffed in disdain. “My father didn’t save any money for me for university. Nothing. Why do you think I had to hustle so much?”

“So this is a grudge, then?”

“You bet.”

“I’ll take it.” Ranma patted the envelope against his open palm. “And Nabiki? Thanks again.”

“I told you I---UGH DON’T HUG ME!!”

* * *

"Akane? Akane, time to wake up."

Akane rolled over underneath the covers. Usually this would cause her to bump into Ranma, but he wasn't there. She opened her eyes in a panic, but let out a breath of relief when her first sight was his smiling face peering over the edge of the bed.

"Ranma? You're up before me?"

"First time for everything." He reached up and stroked her hair, gently pushing her bangs away from her face. "You gotta get up, though. Start packing."

"Packing? Are we going somewhere?"

"Yep." He stood up and displayed a thick envelope to her. "We sure are."

Akane sat up and rubbed one of her eyes with the back of her fist. "You gonna tell me where?"

"Hawaii."

She froze. "Ha--Hawaii?!"

"Yeah."

"Why are we going to Hawaii?"

He knelt down again, taking her hand in his. "Last night, you said you would marry me right away, if we could. You meant it, right?"

"Y--yeah."

"Well, in America, you're an adult at eighteen. And Hawaii is in America, right?" He paused in sudden confusion. "Wait, it is, right?"

"Yes, Ranma."

"So we can go to Hawaii and get married there!"

"Ranma--this is crazy--"

"I know! But Akane--I want to get married. To you. As soon as possible."

He squeezed her hand. She looked down at his fingers, his knuckles. His hands were always warm. Never in a million years would she have expected Ranma--Ranma!--to plan an elopement. To be so open with his longing to be together. 

_ We're too young. I'm not done with school. How can we afford this? _

She looked up.

"Okay," she said. "Let's go to Hawaii."

"Really?"

"Really!"

He reached out and held the back of her head, pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"All right, let's get moving!"

* * *

  
  


“What is this?”

Ranma poked at the mysterious white glob in the bowl in front of him.

“It’s rice,” said his father. 

Akane, sitting next to him at the table with her own white glob, asked, “It is?”

“Yes, I made it myself.” Genma looked proud.

Ranma lifted an eyebrow. “You cooked, Pop?”

“Yes. Your mother isn’t feeling well, so I handled breakfast duties today.”

Ranma frowned. He hadn’t seen his mother since the day before, and she wasn’t at the table now.

“You know what?” Akane said. “I’m not really hungry. And I got a ton of stuff to do. Thank you for the meal, though.” 

"Yeah, same," said Ranma. "Errands, not hungry, all that. See ya!"

He and Akane practically ran out of the room, blowing past Nabiki in the walkway.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!" 

And they were gone.

"Jeez, they're in a hurry," Nabiki muttered, taking a seat at the table.

"Na~bi~ki~~"

Soun was looking at her, eyes wide and full of tears.

"Daddy don't start--"

"MY BABY CAME HOME!"

"UGH, I AM TIRED OF BEING HUGGED TODAY!"

* * *

"So what exactly is it you want to do?"

"Well, I want to go to the bookstore, try and find a travel guide. Maybe pick you up an English dictionary. Ah, I wonder if I can find sunscreen this time of year. And I could use a new beach towel, now that might really be hard to find."

Ranma and Akane walked along the street, both bundled up for the cold weather.

"I'm glad to see you're committing to this," Ranma said.

"I just wish you had given me some more time! There's so much to get together, and I've never been to America before, and how are we gonna leave with no one noticing, and maybe I should tell my dad, or at least Kasumi, they'll worry, or they might hate me after--"

Not caring who saw, Ranma stopped, grabbed Akane's shoulder, and spun her around into an embrace against his chest.

"Akane. Breathe."

Shaking, she forced herself to take several deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.

When she had calmed herself, she pulled back and looked up at Ranma.

"Do you not want to go?" he asked.

"I really want to go, Ranma," she said. "I really want to marry you."

"Good."

Smiling, she pulled away completely and shook her head. "Ah, I never thought I would end up saying something like that. But I do want to get married. I just--I don't handle being overwhelmed as well as I used to. And, let's be honest, I was never that good at it in the first place."

"I get it."

"You do?"

"Sure. It's a lot. But soon--" He took her hands in his. "Wait, you forgot your gloves again?"

"Forget that. You were saying, soon--"

"Soon--we will be in beautiful, tropical, laid back Hawaii. And then we'll never have problems again." 

"I doubt that," she replied, smiling. "But you're almost charming enough to convince me."

He grinned. "Just almost?"

She dropped his hands and turned around. "I said what I said."

"All right, I'll take it. Now, let's find you some sunscreen."

* * *

Somehow, they managed.

Managed to find the books Akane was looking for. Managed to find her a new towel and sunscreen. And somehow managed to pack all of it away, with several days worth of summer clothes and swimsuits.

Somehow snuck away, through Akane's window and over the back wall, without being noticed. And thanks to the ease and beauty of pre-9/11 flying, made it to the airport, check in, and boarding.

“You know,” said Akane, as she buckled herself into her seat. “I’ve never actually been on a plane before.”

“Really?” asked Ranma, fiddling with the folding tray on the seat in front of him.

“No. I mean, I guess I’ve been on an airship. And those bird people carried me across the sea. An airplane’s gotta be safer than either of those, right?”

“I feel like that’s the kinda thing we really shouldn’t say.” Ranma smiled as he managed to unlatch the tray with a click. “Oh, isn’t there supposed to be an in-flight movie?”

“Mrs. Doubtfire,” replied Akane.

He wrinkled his nose. “American movie? Will it have subtitles at least?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Sleep through it, then.”

“You know we’re going to America, right?” Akane leaned down and pulled out her carryon bag and retrieved the Japanese-English dictionary to hand to Ranma. “Here, you might want to study up.”

“Feh, I know plenty of English,” he grumbled, but took it from her anyway. He thumbed through the pages, attempting to find something interesting. “I guess the flight is eight hours. Plenty of time to sleep.”

There were six babies on the flight.

And a set of four year old triplets who liked to play a game where the only rules were running up and down the aisles as fast as they could, screaming. 

And a group of around ten very boisterous, very drunk salarymen who were very excited about heading to Hawaii for a work retreat. 

Five hours into the flight, one of the triplets had decided the rules of the game had changed to kicking the back of Ranma's seat as furiously as his little legs would allow. Also while screaming.

Ranma turned to Akane, eyes bloodshot. "I--can't--take--it--I'm--so--tired--"

She gave him a sleepy smile. "What happened to 'we'll never have problems again?'"

"We're--not--in--Hawaii--yet--"

"Young man!"

A very sloshed businessman in the seat in front of Ranma popped up, looking over the seat back, and reclined the seat until their faces were only inches apart.

"Can I help you?" Ranma asked through gritted teeth. The man's breath smelled of sour whiskey.

"What is your secret?"

"My secret?" Could this guy know about Jusenkyo?

"You're so in shape. How did you get all those muscles?"

Ranma glanced over at Akane, who looked extremely amused.

"I just work out a lot."

"Ah, it's never an easy answer, is it?" The man moaned. "When you get to be my age, things like that are a lot harder."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

Ranma sighed. "Look, bud, I happen to teach martial arts classes, if you're interested."

"Really?" 

"Yeah. Look up the Tendo dojo in Nerima, Tokyo. I could use some adult students."

"Sounds amazing! I'll do it right away."

" _ After _ I get back from my honeymoon," Ranma emphasized.

"Oh." The businessman frowned. "Really? Japanese tourists on their honeymoon in Hawaii? A little cliche, isn't it?"

Ranma slammed the seat back with his palm, forcing it upright and causing the businessman to fall back into his own seat with a disappointed "aww."

Ranma turned to Akane. "I'm losing my mind."

"Sorry, Ranma. Now let's hear it in English."

"<I . . . am . . . losing . . . my . . . mind,>" he growled slowly.

"Very good. I'm impressed."


	5. Wherever You Go, There You Are

The last hour of the flight Ranma finally managed a quick nap. He and Akane managed to deplane mostly without incident, and he even scored a few more winks on the shuttle from the airport to their hotel. Even so, he and Akane were both yawning as they carried their luggage through the front doors.

"Ranma, this place is amazing!"

Akane looked up at the tall glass windows that arched into the ceiling over the entrance. Tropical plants and flowers were arranged along the sides of the atrium and on the eaves of a stone fountain in the center. 

Ranma took a good look around himself.

"Yeah, not bad!"

Akane suddenly paused and turned to him with a suspicious look. "How much do you owe Nabiki for this?"

He grinned. "Nothing."

"Nothing?!"

"That's right. Now let's go check in."

"Ranma!" She stamped one of her feet as he walked ahead of her. "You have to tell me how you paid for this!"

"Well, that's easy." He shrugged. "I didn't."

"Ranma." She pouted a little but joined him as they approached the front desk. Solid mahogany, polished to a smooth shine, curving around the far wall.

A blonde woman with her hair pulled back and up, without a single smidgen of frizz or mess, gave them a wide smile, displaying bizarrely white teeth.

"<Welcome to the Kala Grand Royale! My name is Jessica and I will be helping you today. May I have the name your reservation is under?>"

Akane hesitated. The woman was talking very fast and in a chirpy tone Akane found hard to follow. She dug inside her bag and pulled out an envelope full of paperwork.

"<Reservation for-->" Akane frowned. "Saotome."

"<Thank you!>" 

Jessica typed quickly on the keyboard in front of her, the dull light of the large gray monitor casting her skin in a green glow.

"<Ah! I see you've booked our elopement package. Congratulations! The Kala Grand specializes in quick and easy nuptials. We have several sites right here on the resort you could choose for your ceremony.>"

Jessica quickly pulled out a brochure and laid it flat on the upper ledge of the desk, turning it to face Akane.

"<We have a chapel, a temple, a banyan grove, hibiscus garden, rose garden, the rose and hibiscus garden, or, of course, the beach itself. Which would you prefer?>"

"<I-->" Akane turned to her fiance. "Ranma."

"Don't look at me, I have no idea what that lady is saying."

"She's asking where we want to have the ceremony."

"Oh." He stepped forward and looked at the brochure. 

"The beach?"

"No thanks, too much water."

"We're in Hawaii."

"I don't want to take a chance."

"Okay, where then?"

He tapped at a picture. "I like this tree."

"It does look nice." Akane turned back to Jessica. "<Banyan grove, please.>"

"<Excellent!>" Jessica beamed and typed another round of information into the computer. As it processed with a series of  _ clicks _ and  _ whrrs, _ Jessica maintained eye contact with Akane, never letting her smile falter. 

_ Boop. _

"<Ah, here we are. Luckily enough, there's an opening for the banyan grove tonight at six o'clock. Would you like to book now?>"

"<Okay. Sure.>"

"<Wonderful. And we do have an officiant who speaks Japanese, if you would prefer.>"

Akane cast a quick glance over at Ranma, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to follow the conversation. "<Yes, that would be nice. Thank you.>"

"<Terrific!>"

Another round of typing. Another round of unsettling eye contact. Jessica handed Akane a large stack of brochures and paperwork.

"<Our bellhops can take your luggage up to your room if you don't want to go up right away. We have several restaurants on site if you would like to grab lunch, and of course your celebratory dinner will take place in the main dining room, free of charge. We also have a jeweler's for rings, a tailor, if you're in need of a tuxedo or suit, several boutiques, for a dress, and a full service salon for hair, makeup, and mani-pedis!>"

Akane frowned. "<What is 'mani-pedis?'>"

"<Manicures and pedicures. You know, nails?>" Jessica waved a hand full of fingers adorned with bright white French tips.

"<Ah. I see. Thank you.>"

Akane gathered up the pamphlets, brochures, and other paperwork. As she turned to Ranma, a pair of teenagers in bellhop uniforms rushed up and grabbed their luggage, scurrying away without a word.

"Hey, that's our stuff--"

"They're bellhops, Ranma. They're taking it to our room."

"Oh. Man, that sounds nice. Let's go there. I bet there's a bed there."

"There's too much to do!" Akane held up the pamphlets. "You have to get a suit, and I need a dress, and I need my hair done, and we need rings!"

"Rings?"

"Wedding rings!"

"Oh, right. Okay." Ranma sighed. "Let's do it, then."

Akane gave him a shaky smile. "Really?"

"Yeah, sleep is overrated anyway."

* * *

Ranma started to regret his decision as the sales assistant at the jeweler pulled out the 36th pair of rings.

"<And are these to your liking?>" 

Ranma looked down and barely mustered the energy to shrug.

"<I don't know,>" said Akane. "<I want something simple. Something that will stay on my hand while I punch.>"

She mimed the action, her fist flying past the assistant's ear.

He grimaced. "<Very well.>"

The assistant bent down behind the counter, rummaging around for something deep in storage. He finally pulled out a small display with two very plain, unadorned gold bands.

"<Yes, perfect!>" Akane beamed and turned to Ranma. "What do you think?"

"Fine, great," he yawned. "<Price?>"

The assistant gave him a tight lipped smile. "<$400 for the set.>"

"<Great.>" Ranma pulled out a pile of bills from his pocket and handed them over.

Akane looked at him curiously. "Are you going to tell me where you got all that money?"

"From Nabiki."

"I thought you said you don't owe her anything."

"I don't."

Akane frowned. "You're gonna have to tell me about this someday."

"I will."

The sales assistant handed Ranma a receipt. "<We will have these sized and will give them to your officiant by the time of your ceremony. Congratulations and have a wonderful stay, we are happy to have you here.>"

He didn't sound happy, but Ranma gave him a nod and shoved the receipt in his pocket. 

Akane looked at her watch as they stepped out of the jeweler. "We don't have a ton of time left, so we need to split up. You can go get yourself a suit, right?"

"Sure." He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried not to waver on his feet.

Akane noticed. "And maybe some coffee, while you're at it. I'm going to go get a dress, and have my hair done. And then we'll meet at the banyan grove at six and then--"

An impulsive smile crossed her face. "And then we'll get married!"

Seeing how happy she was gave Ranma a tiny burst of energy and he grinned back at her.

"And then we'll get married."

Hands still in his pockets, he leaned down and gave her a sweet, light kiss.

She blushed as he pulled away. "Ranma, here? In front of everyone?"

There was no one around in front of the row of shops, so he laughed. "It's America, people kiss in public here. Besides, it's our honeymoon."

"Technically not our honeymoon until after we're married." She was still blushing and looking away, but definitely smiling.

"Which will be very soon."

He leaned down to kiss her again, but she had already turned away.

"You're right! We really need to get going!" 

She began to hurry away with a slight jog. After about five yards, she paused, looked over her shoulder at Ranma, and smiled. 

"I love you!"

He gave her a small wave.

"I love you, too


	6. Finally

The tailor helped Ranma settle on a proper outfit in short order. They decided to skip a suit jacket, due to the heat, and fitted Ranma with a sleek gray vest over a dress shirt, with matching slacks. Ranma rolled the sleeves of the shirt up to his elbows, simply because he thought it looked cool, despite a disapproving sigh from the tailor.

He decided to take Akane’s advice and seek out some coffee and headed towards the hotel lobby to ask the desk clerk. Unfortunately, there was a line of guests waiting to check in and it appeared Jessica was giving each one the entire spiel she had given Akane earlier.

He sunk down into a leather chair next to a leafy green plant to wait his turn. With a big yawn, he propped his chin up on one hand, resting it on the soft arm of the chair. 

_ I could close my eyes for a couple of minutes. _

“<Sir? Sir, are you feeling all right?>”

Ranma’s eyes snapped open. A man dressed in a near identical outfit to Jessica’s was standing in front of him, looking concerned. Ranma looked around dazedly, noticing the sunlight streaming through the high windows was starting to look a little pink. 

He jumped to his feet and grabbed the clerk by his shoulders.

“<Time! What is the time?>"

The clerk, a bit perplexed, glanced at his watch. “<It’s 5:52, sir.>”

Ranma hurriedly translated the numbers in his head through a sleepy fog. “<Not too late! Tell me, where is the tree?>”

The clerk blinked. “<Tree?>”

“<Tree! Big tree for wedding!>”

“<Do you mean the banyan grove?>”

“<Yes! That! Where is it?>”

The clerk pointed. “<Go down that way, past the shops, you’ll see three hallways. Take the one on the left, go past the ballroom, past the conference room, and there will be a big door leading outside. Can’t miss it.>”

“<Thank you!>” Ranma took off at a run, hoping he had the directions translated right in his head. The last thing he wanted to do on his wedding day was pull a Ryoga. 

A pang of sadness struck him as he rounded the corner. Ryoga, not here on his wedding day. His parents missing out on the event was what they deserved, but his best friend? Ranma pledged to himself to find the guy a good souvenir and hoped that would be enough for forgiveness. 

He came to a set of wooden double doors and burst through them. 

“I’m here! I made it!”

There was no one in the banyan grove except for a tall, plump man with a friendly smile standing at the end of a pathway lined with flowering plants. 

“Ah! Hello, Saotome-san, I assume?”

“That’s me,” said Ranma, taking a few cautious steps forward. The grove was truly beautiful, the ancient curving branches of the banyan tree hanging down and providing shade and intrigue. Brightly colored flowers of all sorts lined the sides of the area, and it smelled like paradise.

“Where’s Akane?”

“I believe your bride is on the way. Come, stand next to me.”

Ranma took his place next to the other man. “Nice shirt.”

“Oh, thank you.” The man looked down at his floral print button up short sleeved shirt and laughed. “I’m Ryu Akimura, I’ll be your officiant today. Oh, and I have your rings here.”

He pulled a small black box out of his shirt pocket. 

Ranma took it and placed it in his own pants pocket. “Thank you.”

“Now, after the ceremony, we’ll fill out some paperwork, and then you’ll be officially married. Are you ready?”

Ranma took a deep breath. “As I’ll ever be.”

Speakers hidden away in the landscape sprang into life, playing instrumental music.

“Ah, here she comes,” said Ryu, grinning.

Ranma turned towards the double doors as they opened. 

Akane. 

In a white dress. Not quite a full wedding dress, but nicer than a sundress. The length of it came just to her knees, although the hem was purposefully uneven, curving lower in the back. It was made of some casual, loose fabric, although the bodice had been tailored to fit the top of Akane’s body quite well. The shoulder straps were made of lace, showing the skin underneath.

And she had flowers in her hair. 

Tiny white blossoms pinned to the sides, her hair curled to frame her face. Holding a bouquet of flowers Ranma couldn’t name. 

She was smiling. 

Before he knew it, she was standing right in front of him and he was smiling too, feeling like an idiot in the best way. She clutched her bouquet as she beamed up at him and the feeling of his heart beating in his ears sounded like the ocean. 

Ryu was talking, saying something, but Ranma’s heartbeat was drowning him out. Until--

“Saotome-san? The rings?”

“Oh, right.” 

Ranma pulled the box out of his pocket, and he and Akane took turns placing the rings on each other’s fingers. He marveled at how soft and smooth her skin felt after all this time. 

"Now, have the two of you prepared vows?"

"Vows?" 

Ranma and Akane looked at each other in simultaneous surprise.

"I didn't think--" she began.

"I got this," Ranma said, clearing his throat. 

"You do?"

"Sure." He gave her his trademark lopsided grin. "Where to start--okay. Akane, you know I'm not the best with words."

He started to fiddle with the ring she had just placed on his finger. Hadn't he just said he got this? Akane was giving him a worried look. Best to push through. 

"But you know what? You're the only girl I've ever loved. That I ever even thought about loving. You're so smart, and so strong, and I'm happiest when I'm with you. So I promise to love you forever, and be here for you, no matter what."

He exhaled. Hopefully that was good enough.

Akane started crying.

"What, hey, don't--"

"They're happy tears, dummy." She wiped her eyes with one hand, trying to avoid smearing her makeup. "Okay, my turn."

Akane looked down and clutched her bouquet. A bolt of concern shot through Ranma. Lately she had tried to avoid public speaking of any sort, but it was just him and one other person here now. Please, don't feel nervous.

"Ranma," she said slowly. "We've been through so much. And I've been so crazy about you for so long. You're tough, but kind, and charming, and always willing to help people who need it. I really love you and I'm glad I get to be your wife!"

She was crying again, but her face was turned upwards, smiling through her tears.

"Very well then," said Ryu. "Let's wrap this up. Ranma, do you take Akane to be your lawfully wedded wife, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And Akane, do you?"

"I do!"

"Wonderful. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the br--"

Akane had already jumped up, throwing her arms around Ranma's neck, pulling them together. He wrapped his arms around her as they kissed, the setting sunlight filtering through the branches of the banyan tree. 

He really hoped she couldn't tell he was crying. 


	7. Any Other Name

"All right, now sign here and here."

Ranma and Akane leaned over the desk in the small office Ryu had led them to after they had finally stopped kissing. Carefully, they each inked their names in English on the marriage license. 

"Great," said Ryu. "You are now, officially, legally married here in the great state of Hawaii and all of the United States of America. Of course, you will need to get re-licensed in Japan."

"We will?" asked Ranma.

"Yes, I assumed you knew. Your marriage is only legally binding here in the U.S."

Ranma and Akane looked at each other. "We didn't know."

"Well, should be a simple procedure. Of course, you do have to be twenty in Japan or you need your parents to approve. I assume that's why you came here? Because they don't approve?"

"Oh no, they approve," grumbled Ranma.

"They approve too much," added Akane.

"I'm not sure I understand."

"It was an arranged marriage," said Akane. She opened her mouth to say more, but suddenly clammed up. 

Ranma looked at her curiously, but continued the explanation. "We weren't happy about it at first, but we fell for each other anyway. But we didn't want to get married with our parents around, because they would be way too smug about it."

Ryu laughed. "I see. Well, then I'm sure they'll be happy to get you re-licensed once you're back home, then. And also, since you're foreign nationals, we won't be able to process a name change, either. I hope you understand."

"Name change," said Akane in a tiny voice. "Right."

"But for now, while you're here, you are in fact married in the United States. Congratulations!"

Ranma shrugged and grinned. "I guess it is a pretty big country. Right, Akane?"

She blinked up at him, giving him an unsure smile. "Right."

"Now," said Ryu. "Dinner is waiting for you in the main dining hall. We have several couples celebrating their nuptials tonight, so go, have fun! Eat!"

"Right," said Ranma. He grabbed Akane's hand, his fingers pausing on the thin, cool band she now wore. "Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Ready!"

* * *

"Akane, is something wrong?"

Ranma looked over the table at her, concerned. She had been quiet during the walk to the dining hall, only mumbling a light agreement when he had expressed how fancy the place looked. Chandeliers, white tablecloths, a dance floor, live band, the works. Quiet when the appetizers had arrived. Quiet when the waiter had congratulated them and brought them non-alcoholic sparkling juice, which was when Ranma discovered the drinking age in America was twenty-one, much to his disappointment.

And now she was poking at the entree with her fork, staring down at her plate.

She looked up at his question, but couldn't find an answer.

"Are there too many people here?" he asked.

"No," she said softly. "It's not that."

"I thought you would be happy we're married now. I know it will be a pain when we get back--"

"I am happy we're married, Ranma! Really!"

"So what's the issue?"

"I--"

"<Hello, hello everyone, and welcome!>" A middle aged man in shorts and a printed shirt, grey streaked through his hair, had taken the stage and was speaking through a microphone. "<The Kala Grand Royale is happy to be celebrating with all of you tonight! Firstly, we have some anniversaries. We have Dennis and Susan McDaniels, here on their one year! Congratulations! First year is always the toughest. Then Mika and Devonte Freeman, ten years! Incredible. And finally, Henry and Kyoko Jenkins! Twenty-five years today. Absolutely amazing, here's to twenty-five more!>"

As he announced the name of each couple, there would be a brief round of applause from all the diners, and the couple in question would raise their glasses or wave.

"<And, get this folks, we have five, count em, five couples who got married today! Will and Monica Stusserman, from California! Paulo and Maria Zarate, from Colorado! Heather Bradley and Tom Wilkins, from New Hampshire! Eric and Leanne Thompkins-Brasserly, from Illinois! And finally, all the way from Japan, Ranma and Akane Saotome! That's quite a ways, folks! Give them a hand!>"

The diners clapped extra loud as the focus turned to Ranma and Akane. He noticed her stiffen, her lips draw into a tight line. But as quickly as the attention was on them, it was off again, as the announcer continued.

"<To all our happy couples, thank you for choosing the Kala Grand Royale to make all your dreams come true. Please, come join us on the dance floor for a couples only celebration.>"

The band began playing again, and the other named couples left their tables to go dance.

Ranma reached out to Akane and took her hand.

"We don't have to dance if you don't want to."

She smiled. "I do want to."

He led her to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. They swayed back and forth to the music, but he was still worried.

"So are you gonna tell me what's up? And don't lie."

"It's--it's my name."

"Akane?"

"No, the other part. Saotome."

"You don't want to be Saotome?"

"It's not that I don't want to. I guess I always knew I would have to change it one day. But now that the day is here, it feels--strange. Scary."

"Well, you don't have to change it if you don't want to. I don't care."

"Ranma. Yes I do."

"What? Why?"

"Don't you know? In Japan, married couples have to have the same name. It's the law."

"Oh. I didn't know." He thought for a second. "You want me to be Ranma Tendo?"

She blinked. "You would do that?"

"If you want me to."

She frowned. "I don't want you to. It sounds bad."

"What do you want, then?"

"I don't know. I've been Akane Tendo my whole life. And it's the Tendo dojo. It's been the Tendo dojo for four generations."

Ranma gulped. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Akane, you don't have to decide right now anyway. But I fell in love with Akane Tendo, so I understand why you're so attached."

"Ranma." She blushed. "When did you get so nice?"

"Pfft, I've always been nice."

"What a liar!"

He laughed. "All right, you got me. But I'm feeling really nice right now. What do you say we skip out of here and finally go up to our room?"

Still blushing, she smiled. "Okay."

In one swift motion, he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the dining hall.


	8. Working It Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a consensual sex scene in this chapter. It's their wedding night, after all.

"Ranma! Can you finally put me down?"

Akane was giggling and wiggling her feet in mock frustration as Ranma carried her across the threshold of their hotel room. Begrudgingly, he lowered her to her feet and leaned in for a kiss.

But she had already turned around, clasping her hands together in delight. 

"Oh, Ranma, this is amazing!"

It was. While the room wasn't exactly a suite, it was still spacious and tastefully decorated, with an inviting king sized bed and a seating area complete with a couch, dining table, and several chairs. On the table was a vase of flowers, a note of congratulations from the resort staff, and an ice bucket containing two bottles.

Ranma picked up one of the bottles and inspected the label.

Non-alcoholic sparkling juice.

He sighed. 

Akane opened the sliding glass door that led to the balcony.

"Ranma, come look!"

He joined her outside. They were ten stories up, and the view of the ocean was incredible. Moonlight reflected off of the rippling waves, sparkling in the dark.

Now that night had fallen, the heat had given way to a chilly breeze. Akane was rubbing her biceps in an attempt to keep warm, so Ranma put his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head as they looked out over the sea.

Akane let out a dreamy sigh and relaxed back into his chest. She reached up and held onto his forearms with both hands. 

"It's so beautiful here."

"It is."

The waves were not very high. As they met the shore, they only let out a soft whisper as they dissolved into seafoam.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"I think--I want to be Akane Saotome."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He lifted his left arm so his hand rested on top of her head. Gently, he tilted it to the side and planted a kiss on her neck. She let out a soft, barely audible, breathy moan and closed her eyes. 

And then he was pulling her back inside, turning her to face him as he stepped backwards toward the bed. When the back of his thighs bumped against the edge, he sat down, lifting Akane onto his lap. As she straddled his waist, she draped her arms over his shoulders, loosely clasping her hands behind his neck.

They kissed, deeply, the way they had many times by this point, knowing what the other one liked, the direction to tilt their head, the right amount of tongue to use.

Ranma placed his hands near the bend of her knees, sliding his fingers up her thighs, pushing up the hem of her dress--

"Ranma, wait." 

She had stopped kissing him, although she left her arms around his neck. 

"What's wrong?"

"It's just--we've never--" She blushed furiously. "We've never gone all the way before."

"Trust me," he sighed. "I'm well aware."

True enough, despite spending nearly every night of the past six months in her bed, and all of the kissing and touching they had done, it always stopped before they went too far. It was only a few weeks ago, on Christmas Eve, when Akane had finally let him touch her below the waist, let him slip his hand into her underwear and touch her where she had seemed to want to be touched. And she had only touched him under his pants once, the very first time they had really kissed, but had almost instantly taken her hand away 

She had never tried to again, and he had never pressured her, but he was only human. He wanted her, but he also wanted her to want him.

"Ranma! I'm trying to say--"

"Do you not want to? We don't have to if you don't want to."

"I do want to, it's just--"

"Are you worried it will hurt? We can go slow."

"It's not that, well, not really."

Even in the moonlight, he could tell she was really blushing now.

"So what's wrong?"

"It's just--oh, you'll laugh."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will!"

Ranma was starting to lose the grip on his patience. "Akane, just tell me what your problem is."

"I'm worried--I'm worried that you're too big!"

". . ."

". . ."

Akane's face was an unfathomable shade of red. 

Ranma's eyebrows made their way up his forehead. A wide, dopey grin slowly spread across his face. His brain relinquished all coherent thought. Somewhere, he could swear a chorus of angels was singing.

"That's what you're worried about?" He finally brought himself to ask.

"I told you not to laugh!"

"I'm not laughing!" he said, laughing.

"Ran-ma!" 

He kissed her clavicle, lightly, teasingly, before swiftly grabbing the back of her thighs, turning, and tilting her until she was lying back on the bed underneath him. He held his hands under her knees, keeping her legs lifted around his waist.

"Akane," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "I think we can work this out together."

Their lips met. She arched her back, pushing her chest up towards him. He released his grasp on one of her legs and cupped his palm around her breast, rubbing gently through the fabric.

He broke apart the kiss, instead moving his lips along her jawline and down her neck, resting in the hollow of her throat.

His thumb caressed the area where he supposed her nipple was, and he could feel it hardening through the fabric. She wasn't wearing a bra, but she was in such great shape she hardly needed one. Slowly, he moved his hand a little higher, letting his fingertips savor the texture of the lace strap of her dress. Pulling it down, he continued laying a line of kisses on her bare skin until her entire right breast was exposed. He cupped his hand around it, taking her pink nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"Ranma--"

He loved when she said his name like that. Like a question. Like a demand. Like a need.

He took her breast in his mouth, swirling his tongue around her nipple. She cried out, loud, clutching at the fabric of his shirt. At home, when he touched her like this, she made a great effort to be silent, biting her lip or clamping her hands over her mouth, so only the tiniest whimpers would slip through. 

But here, alone, where no one knew them, she could let out everything she was feeling. And by the sound of it, she was feeling very good.

He lifted his head and sat back on his calves, causing her to let out a disappointed sigh.

"Why did you stop?"

The sight of her, looking up at him, flushed, one breast out of her dress, the skirt of it hiked up around her thighs, was truly lewd and he felt like he was going to burst.

"I have on too many clothes," he said, unbuttoning his vest and dress shirt as fast as he could. He threw them to the side, somewhere. Now in his tank top, he leaned down to kiss her on the mouth again, slipping his tongue between her lips with a bit more urgency than was typical.

She buried her fingers in his hair, holding him close. He slipped his left hand between them, running his fingers up the inside of her thigh. When he reached the barrier of her panties, he broke apart their kiss, but kept his lips less than an inch away.

"Do you remember? When I touched you here? Before?"

"Yes."

"And you liked it?"

"Yes."

"Say it."

"I liked it."

He ran the tip of his finger along the gusset of her panties without applying pressure. She was wet, very wet, already. She wanted to. She wanted him.

Slowly, slowly, he pulled at the waistband of her underwear, sliding it down until she was exposed to him. He moved his hand down her mound, finding her most sensitive, private place, and he touched her.

She gasped and he let his lips trail down her neck once more. He started to circle the delicate bundle of nerves with his finger, and she opened her legs in response, pushing her panties all the way down and off her legs by herself.

He knew how to touch a girl's body--he had one himself, after all. And he had definitely put in the practice with it. So he knew how to tease, where to apply pressure, and how much, and Akane squirmed beneath him, desperate for more.

Then he slipped one finger inside her, something he had never done, and later he would find out, something she had never done with herself.

"Is that okay?" he whispered.

"Yes," she moaned, panting. "Yes."

He moved his finger in and out, circling it around her warm insides. After a minute or so of this, he added a second finger.

"Oh! Ranma!"

"Does it hurt?"

"No, no, I just feel--full."

The admission gave him some amusement. Maybe her initial concern had some merit.

But as he continued his ministrations, she opened up to him, growing wetter with each stroke.

A third finger. The one wearing his wedding band.

"Oh. _Oh!_ Oh--I--Ranma--"

"See, Akane?" He growled into her ear. "I told you we could work it out."

"Ranma, I--I want--I want it--I want you--"

She had her hands on his pants, pawing clumsily at his belt. He pulled back, and out, eliciting another longing sigh. Together, they managed to unbuckle his belt, both giggling nervously at the awkwardness. He was out of his pants and down to his boxers in no time.

She sat up, then, and was the one to reach out and touch him. She slipped her delicate, thin fingers under the elastic of his boxers and ran her fingertips up and down his length.

He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. Even as she turned her light stroking into a firm grip at the base. Even as she started to slowly pump her fist up and down. Even as she--

"Akane!" 

He pushed her back and leaned down, kissing her fiercely. Quickly, he shimmied out of his boxers and threw his tank top over to wherever his other clothes had landed. Kneeling, he positioned himself between Akane's legs and lined himself up at her entrance.

"Ready?"

"Yes, yes I'm ready!"

He pushed the tip in, and she moaned. Slowly, he moved his hips forward, sinking deeper inside of her. With one deep breath, he thrust himself the rest of the way in, filling her completely.

"Oh! Oh, Ranma!"

"So what do you think?" He smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Still think I'm too big?"

"Ran! Ma!"

Her voice was half exasperation, half pleasure.

The truth was, they fit together perfectly. 

He began to move, thrusting in and out. She bucked her hips up in rhythm to meet him with each movement, clinging with both hands around the back of his neck.

He was sweating with effort, trying not to finish before her. He pulled the other side of her dress down, baring both of her breasts, burying his face between them.

"Akane," he mumbled into her chest. "Akane, I love you."

She reached down and grabbed his face, her hands on either side of his jaw.

"I love you too," she said, and kissed him.

He slipped his hand between them, again, using his thumb to massage her special place as he continued thrusting. She moaned into his mouth as they kissed and he moved faster, more forcefully.

"Ranma, I'm going to--I'm going to--"

She came, hard, trembling violently around him. The contractions were so powerful that he came with her, spilling inside her, both of them shaking with the intensity and holding onto each other tightly. 

He gave a few more gentle thrusts, ensuring he was empty before pulling out and falling to her left side on the bed, reaching for her hand.

Breathing heavily, she interlaced her fingers with his and turned her head to give him a shaky smile.

"I can't believe we did that," she whispered.

He reached over and stroked her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. "We're married, now. It's okay."

She blushed and rolled onto her side, clutching his arm tightly. 

"I feel so perverted," she mumbled into his arm.

He laughed. "Well, you are. A little."

"Ranma!" She pushed at his arm and sat up. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed then looked over her shoulder at him.

"Can you help me out of this? It's all bunched up."

Her dress was scrunched from the top and bottom, gathered around her waist. He sat up and studied the lines of her back in the moonlight. Her muscles were so sharp and well defined, but she still seemed so--feminine? Delicate?

Beautiful.

He walked his fingertips down her spine and she shivered at his touch. He arrived at the zipper of the dress, and with a little finagling, managed to get her free. She let it fall to the floor and turned back to him, now completely naked. He wrapped his arms around her and she pressed her ear to his chest, listening for his heartbeat.

They reclined against the bed pillows and remained there for a while, simply holding each other and being quiet.

"Akane?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"How come your skin is so soft?"

"What?"

"I mean, you work out just as much as me. Get into fights. You're in good shape. But your skin is just so--soft."

A very long pause. "Lotion, Ranma."

"Ohhhhh. Yeah, that makes sense."

She started shaking in his hold and he looked down at her in alarm.

She was giggling.

He frowned before realizing the vibrations of her naked body were actually fairly pleasant.

"Ranma!" she gasped. "Already?'

He looked down at his lap.

"Well, what can I say, I'm in the prime of my youth."

"I think I can help you with that."

She kissed his neck, turning her body to face him. She kissed his collarbone, allowing her lips to drag down his chest, over his flat stomach and well developed abs.

By the time he realized what was happening, she was already down near his hip bones. His breath came quicker, shallower, the anticipation stiffening the rest of his body. 

She reached the base of his shaft and kissed it lightly. A deep groan escaped him involuntarily, his eyes fluttering closed. Her tongue darted out and gave him a soft lick and he let out a pleading whimper.

She ran her tongue up the length of his erection. When she reached the head, she gave it a quick swirl before opening her mouth and taking him in.

"It feels--so good--"

She purred in satisfaction around him, and the vibration of it felt so good he thought he might explode then and there. Too soon, he chastised himself. Let her keep going. 

She lowered her head, taking him deeper and deeper inside her mouth. It felt so warm, so wet, and so different. He wanted to scream.

With only a little bit of effort, she had slowly managed to engulf his entire length, and he could feel himself hitting the back of her throat. She quickly rose up, taking herself off of him, breathing in deeply, and then plunging back down. 

She didn't make it as far this time, but as she started bobbing her head, a steady rhythm began to develop. 

Ranma was torn. He wanted to keep his eyes closed, savoring every second of this brand new experience. But he also wanted to see.

He opened his eyes. Akane, bent over, her hips angled up, her rear making a heart shape in the air. Her soft pink lips stretched around him, his length disappearing and reappearing in her mouth. 

It was too much.

He grabbed her head, entangling his fingers in her hair, unintentionally pushing her farther down.

"Akane it's--I'm going to--"

He came. 

He felt her swallow, a shudder run through her body. Finally he released his grasp, and she pulled herself off of him, panting. 

Licking her lips, she used the back of one hand to wipe her mouth. 

"Akane, I'm sorry--"

"I win."

He blinked. "What?"

She giggled. "I win."

"What are you--"

"It was a draw at first, but now I'm up by one. So, I win."

Realization. "So our wedding night is a competition to you?"

"Aren't you the one who thinks everything is a competition?"

"And when did I say that?"

"Definitely during all those competitions you've been in."

He scrunched up his face defiantly. An idea occurred to him and a sly grin spread across his face. 

"Well if you know me that well, you should also know that I never back down from a challenge!"

Before she could reply, he had sat up, leaned forward, and hooked his arms under her legs, lifting her hips up high as she fell back onto the bed. He kept lifting until her thighs were on his shoulders, his head between her legs.

"Ranma, what are you--oh!"

Her body stiffened as his tongue found the exact right spot. She tried to squirm away from the intense pleasure, but his grip on her thighs was too strong.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself. Her soft folds were completely exposed to him as he ran his tongue up, down, and in small circles. Only in his dreams had he ever imagined being able to do this with Akane, and to have her respond with moans of unbridled delight.

He teased her, lightly licking at just the tip of her sensitive nub, before flattening his tongue a bit to apply more pressure.

"Ah, Ranma, I'm going crazy--"

She undulated her torso, pushing her hips upwards, and he obliged. Focusing his technique, he continued with the pressure, feeling her legs tighten around him, until--

"Aah! Ranma!"

She shook uncontrollably, but he kept licking until she was a whimpering mess, the strength drained out of her. Only then did he release her legs and let her entire body sink back to the mattress.

"No fair," she moaned, panting. She covered her face with her hands. "It's no fair!"

"What's no fair?" he asked, grinning and wiping his mouth.

"How are you so good at everything, all the time?!"

He laughed and laid down next to her. Gently, he reached up and pulled her hands away from her face. Scooting forward, he kissed the tip of her nose.

"You make it easy for me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hmm, well, I'll suppose we'll call it a draw for now, but what I mean is that I could win very easily if I wanted to."

A flash of determination crossed her face.

"We'll see about that."

She pushed his shoulder, rolling him flat on his back. He had nearly forgotten how strong Akane was, and that if he let his guard down, she could overpower him. 

And in no time at all, she had positioned herself on top of him, straddling his waist. She lifted her hips up and grabbed hold of his already hard shaft, lining up the tip of it at her entrance. Swiftly, she lowered herself down, taking all of him at once. 

He groaned and clasped her rear cheeks in his hands.

"I won't give up," Akane whispered as she began to move.

And for the first time in his life, Ranma Saotome was happy to lose.


	9. Cold

_ Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. _

Nodoka awoke to the sound of her alarm. She blinked her eyes open slowly, stretching her hand out from under the blanket to press the off button.

Genma was still asleep in their futon, snoring contentedly.

But the futon next to her was empty.

Ranma was probably still in Akane's room. Nodoka always pretended she didn't notice him leaving at night, or sneaking back in the morning. Usually he was back before dawn.

He was most likely still angry with her. He hadn't come to bed the night before either. If he wasn't careful, his father and Soun were going to find out where he was spending the night and rush them into marriage.

Frost covered the window pane. Their room was the draftiest in the house. She wanted to remain under the blankets forever, but she knew the kitchen would be warmer. Forcing herself to move, she stood, stretched, dressed for the day, and made her way downstairs.

Ranma loved a western style breakfast. She started cooking pancakes. Sausage. Eggs. Bacon. Would it be enough?

No.

Nothing could ever be.

The rest of the house was waking up. She could hear them moving around and chatting in the living room. Hopefully Ranma wouldn't leave when he saw her.

She brought out the food. 

Ranma wasn't at the table. Neither was Akane.

"Oh, is--" Nodoka hesitated, not wanting to give away her son's secret. "Is Akane still asleep?"

Nabiki, taking a plate, shrugged. "Nah, she and Ranma went off on some training trip with Ryoga."

"They did?" asked Ryoga, who was sitting next to her. "News to me."

Nabiki whirled around, fury in her eyes. "When did you get here?"

"I was at the table before you were!"

Nabiki hesitated, clenching her jaw. With a deep breath, she tried to exude her typical nonchalance once more. "Maybe it was with Mousse, then. I don't know. Said they had to hurry. Be back in a few days."

"Did they?" asked Soun over the top of his newspaper. "Curious."

"What fine martial artists we've raised, Tendo-kun!" Genma grinned before shoveling a clump of scrambled eggs into his mouth. "Always willing to fight the good fight."

"I suppose."

Nodoka frowned silently, keeping her eyes on Nabiki. The girl was hiding something, and Nodoka needed to figure out what.

* * *

Ranma couldn't believe his luck.

Akane, lying naked in his arms, sleeping peacefully. How many times had he dreamed something like this? Dreamt about everything they did the night before?

It really lived up to the hype.

They had left the door to the balcony open all night. He wondered if anyone had heard their activities, or if the sound of the ocean had drowned them out. He didn't care either way, but Akane might be embarrassed if she realized.

Now that the sun was up, the room was starting to become warm, especially with the door open. As much as he would have loved to spend the entire day in bed with his new wife, he was definitely starting to get a little sweaty.

He cleared his throat, softly.

Akane didn't move.

He lifted one of his legs up and let it fall back down to the mattress with a flop, causing the two of them to bounce slightly.

Akane sighed in her sleep and snuggled closer to him.

_ I'm gonna die of heat stroke. _

"Akane!" he shouted sharply, and then closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"Huzzat?" Akane sat straight up, one eye open. She looked around the room in a start before turning to Ranma. 

He pretended to yawn and opened his eyes.

"Oh, good morning."

"Good morning," she replied sleepily. "Did I wake you up?"

"Maybe," he shrugged and sat up. "But I'll forgive you."

He leaned over and kissed her.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them close while giving him a shy smile. "Let's order room service for breakfast."

"Good idea."

"And then let's go to the beach!"

He wrinkled his nose. "I'm not feeling the beach today."

"But Ranma, we're in Hawaii!"

"Yeah, but I thought we'd go into town and go shopping."

"You want to go shopping?"

"I want to pick up something for Ryoga."

"Ryoga-kun?"

"I feel kinda bad that he didn't get to see us get married."

"Aw, that's sweet, actually." Akane giggled. "You guys have become pretty good friends, huh?"

"All rivals are friends at heart."

She laughed, bright and musical. "I'm not sure about that."

With a yawn, she stretched her arms above her head. Ranma happily took in the view.

"Ah, it's so warm in here," she sighed. "Wait, was the door open all night?"

She looked over at Ranma with fearful eyes.

He grinned. "Maybe?"

"Oh no!" She fell backwards and buried her face in a pillow. "What if someone heard us?"

"Then they'll know that we are very happily married."

"Ran-maaaaa!"

* * *

Nodoka waited for Nabiki outside her bedroom door in the hallway. As Nabiki rounded the corner and spotted the older woman, she rolled her eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. Please tell me where my son is."

Nabiki crossed her arms. "I told you. He's on a training trip."

Nodoka swallowed. "I understand you don't have a high opinion of me--"

"You're right, I don't." Nabiki shrugged. "But to be fair, I don't have a high opinion of anyone. Except my sisters. And, well, I suppose Ranma is growing on me a little."

Nodoka smiled sadly. "Yes. He has a tendency to do that."

Nabiki sighed and spread her hands out. "Are we done here?"

Nodoka took a breath and then sank to her knees, bowing deeply, touching her fingertips to the floor.

"Please, Nabiki. I just need to know my son is safe. He's so reckless, if he wandered off to another fight, I--" She tried to stop the tears from falling, but they went  _ pat, pat, pat _ on the floor.

"Oh, jeez." Nabiki scratched her neck uncomfortably. "Listen, they're--they're fine. I swear."

Nodoka raised her head to look up at her. "But you won't tell me where they are?"

"I will not. I made a promise."

"I understand. A promise between sisters--"

"I promised Ranma."

Nodoka stiffened. "Very well."

She stood, bowed again, at the waist, and turned away.

Nabiki winced at the sight of the older women's drooping shoulders from behind.

"Ah, listen, Auntie--" She clenched her teeth. _ I'm really getting soft. _ "Do you--do you want to go out and get a drink?"

Nodoka turned back, blinked.

"But you're only nineteen!"

"Don't worry, I know a place that will serve me."

Nodoka frowned. "It doesn't seem very responsible--"

"Do you wanna go or not?"

Nodoka paused. Took a short breath. "All right."

"Great! Let's go!"

* * *

"So what do you think?"

Ranma stepped out of the shop into the sunlight in his new outfit, a short sleeved button down shirt with a floral print, a pair of khaki shorts, and flip flops.

Akane looked him up and down. "Pretty touristy."

"We're tourists."

She sighed and handed him her shopping bag and they fell into step as they strolled along the town's main street. It was truly picturesque, with palm trees and hibiscus shrubs lining the main walkway.

"I'm starting to think we are becoming a little cliche."

"Well, it's not like we're walking around taking pictures of everything or something."

"Ooh, Ranma, pictures! We should take pictures!"

"You just said--"

"I know, but it's our honeymoon, and we haven't taken any pictures yet!"

"Aw, they took some at the ceremony--"

"Come on, Ranma, I wanna have something to show Kasumi and Nabiki when we get back."

She looked up at him with big eyes and pleading hands. How could he say no?

"Fine, fine," he sighed.

They stopped in the 7-11 on the corner and bought a disposable camera. As Ranma handed money over to the cashier, he said, "Now I'm only buying one of these, Akane, so you better make it count--"

_ Click. _

She had already snapped a picture of his sour expression.

"Hey!"

She grinned and wound the tiny wheel to get to the next exposure.

"Twenty-six to go!"

* * *

"Nabiki! Long time no see!"

Nabiki waved at the tall, thin bartender as she and Nodoka entered the restaurant. 

"Akito-chan! Did you miss me?"

Nabiki swung her legs up on a stool, setting her jacket on the bar itself. Nodoka tentatively took a seat next to her.

Akito leaned forward, resting one elbow on the bar.

"Your usual, I presume?"

"You know me so well."

He turned to Nodoka and flashed a charming smile. "And this must be one of your lovely sisters."

"Nice try," Nabiki mused. "But you're not too far off. This is my sister's future mother-in-law."

"Ah, Ranma's mom," Akito sighed.

Nodoka blinked. "You know my son?"

"Everyone knows Ranma, unfortunately," he laughed. "Now what can I get you to drink?"

"Oh, just beer, I suppose."

"Beer? Really?"

"Yes, please."

"All right." Akito shrugged. "I'll be right back."

He stepped away to make the drinks and Nodoka turned to Nabiki. "What a nice young man. Is he your boyfriend?"

Nabiki laughed. "No way, I'm not exactly his type."

"But you're such a beautiful girl--"

"And that's the issue." Nabiki smirked. "I'm a beautiful  _ girl. _ "

"Ah. I see."

Akito returned, a glass of dark whiskey on rocks for Nabiki, and a mug of beer for Nodoka.

"Here you go, ladies. Now I do have other customers to attend to, so, Nabiki, don't cause any trouble."

"Me? Trouble?" She raised one eyebrow. "Never."

He gave her a wink and turned away once more. 

“You know,” said Nodoka, cradling her mug. “I met Ranma’s father in a place like this.”

Nabiki couldn’t conceal her surprise. “Really?”

“Oh yes,” Nodoka said, lifting up her mug and taking a large gulp. “When I was your age, I was much more--adventurous.”

“But you’re so--proper.”

“Boring, I’m boring, you can say it,” Nodoka laughed and drank from her beer again. “But back then, oh, I let a strong and handsome martial artist that I thought was so cool sweep me off my feet.”

Nabiki was having a lot of trouble imagining Genma as a romantic. But he must have been, at one point, if he had been able to find a wife and get married. 

“I was in a place like this, a bar, drinking with my friends. And I stepped out to get some air, a little shaky on my feet. And there was this group of shady guys and--well, it would have been bad if Genma hadn’t been walking by.”

“He rescued you?”

“Oh yes. And he picked up my bag, handed it to me, and we locked eyes, and it was love at first sight.” Nodoka was halfway finished with her beer already. 

Nabiki was utterly bewildered. She had only known Genma to be a selfish, weird, greedy guy who often put Ranma through utter hell. To hear he had done something as selfless and honorable as defending a helpless drunk woman seemed extremely out of character. 

“I’m sorry, Auntie, but I’m having a hard time believing this.”

“No, I understand,” Nodoka said, drinking more. “And trust me, in hindsight, I realize that was probably the nicest thing he had ever done in his life. But for a while, it was enough. He wasn’t the best husband, and he didn’t have any money, but it’s not like I had any money either. We made it work. And then Ranma was born.”

Her gaze wavered then and she downed the rest of her beer. She placed the empty mug on the bar and Akito silently replaced it with a new one. 

“I loved my son. I loved my baby. I really did. But after he was born, I was so tired. All the time. And so sad. I felt guilty. Shouldn’t I be happy? Happy that I had such a healthy, strong little boy? Instead, I just felt miserable. And when Genma decided to take him away, I fought him at first, but honestly?”

Tears were sliding down her face.

“I felt relieved.”

Nabiki took a sip of whiskey but didn’t say anything. 

“But almost as soon as they left--” Another gulp. “I regretted it. I regretted it every single second of every single day. And I tried to console myself. That they would come back. And Ranma would be a man among men, and we would be happy, as a family, together.”

Nabiki swirled her drink around in her glass, again not replying. 

“I thought it was working, for a while,” Nodoka said, smiling sadly. “Even with his curse, he was so brave, so strong. And he had met all of you. And I met all of you. You welcomed him, us, into your home. And I could tell he was really happy there. You all gave him something I never could. And I’m so glad to know Akane, she’s such a wonderful girl. And Kasumi and I grew so close, I still miss seeing her every day. And you--well.”

“It’s okay,” said Nabiki, rolling her eyes. “I know I’m no one’s favorite.”

“But you should be,” said Nodoka softly.

Nabiki looked over at her in surprise.

“You’re so very smart, clever. Very funny, even. And kind, in your own way.” Nodoka tilted her head to the side. The tip of her nose was starting to turn a little red. “After all, you wouldn’t keep that promise to Ranma if Akane didn’t love him so much, would you?”

Nabiki paused, and then turned away, slamming back the rest of her whiskey. Setting her glass on the bar with a clang, she grinned. “All right, you’ve convinced me, I’m amazing.”

Nodoka laughed. “I agree.”

“Listen, Auntie.” Nabiki exhaled. “I can’t tell you where Ranma is, but I promise he’s safe. He and Akane both are. Or they should be. I wouldn’t let him take her into danger, mostly because she can be just as reckless as he is if it means saving him.”

“Fair enough,” Nodoka said, finishing her beer. “I’ll settle for that, for now.”

Nabiki smiled. “Another round?”

“Yes, please!”


	10. Never Ever

Three pictures on their hike. One picture of a pineapple plant Ranma thought was cool. Another three pictures at the top of the waterfall, Ranma holding the camera out and turning it around to try to take a picture of himself and Akane together. Two pictures of Akane at the shaved ice place, plastic spoon sticking out of her mouth. 

“There’s still plenty of pictures left,” Akane said, happily winding the camera as they stepped out of yet another gift shop. They still hadn’t found a gift that Ranma thought was appropriate for Ryoga, although Akane had found several souvenirs for her dad, Kasumi, Nabiki, Yuka, and Sayuri. 

“What time is it?”

“Oh, 2:30.”

“Ah, way past lunch time! No wonder I’m starving!”

“Well, how about we eat right here?”

Akane gestured to a restaurant a few feet away with a thatched roof and an outdoor patio that afforded a view of the ocean. 

“Sure, wherever, I just want to eat!”

The hostess sat them on the patio at a table made out of iron. The salty smell of ocean spray filled the air and it activated Ranma’s appetite even more as he perused the menu. 

A young man with an apron approached them, holding a notepad. 

“<Good afternoon, my name is Aoki and I’ll be your server today. We have a variety of specials-->"

“Aoki!” Ranma interrupted. “Are you Japanese?!”

“Ranma, don’t be rude!”

“It’s all right,” Aoki replied, smiling. “I can serve you in Japanese, if you’d prefer--”

“Yes, please!” exclaimed Ranma. “English is so hard.”

“I understand completely,” said Aoki. “Now can I get you started with something to drink?”

“This looks good.” Akane pointed to a picture on the menu of a large, sunset colored cocktail adorned with pineapple slices.

“How old are you guys?” Aoki asked.

“Eighteen.” She flashed him a sweet smile. 

“And you know you have to be twenty-one to order alcohol here in the States, right?”

“Oh, I know, but--” She pouted her pink lips and held up her left hand. “We just got married! We want to celebrate a little! Can’t you help us out?”

Aoki gave her a knowing smile and wrote something on his notepad. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you!” she called after him as he walked away.

Ranma crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, giving Akane a thoughtful look.

“And what was that?”

“What was what?” she asked innocently, turning over her menu and staring at it intently.

“‘Oh golly gee, mister, can’t you help us out with a teensy-weensy drinky-winky?’” Ranma said in a mocking tone, clasping his hands together. 

She stuck her tongue out at him. “What’s wrong? Jealous?”

“Oh yeah.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yes, jealous of your ability to get stuff out of guys who are total suckers.”

“Well, you’re one of those total suckers, you know that, right?”

“Is that so?”

She clasped her hands together under her chin. “‘Oh, Ranma, can we pretty please get a camera to take lots of pictures?’”

Despite himself, he laughed and reached for her hand across the table. “I guess I am a total sucker, then.”

“The biggest.”

As Aoki walked behind the bar and started pulling out supplies to make a drink, his co-worker Ashley sidled up beside him.

“<You’re not really gonna give those kids alcohol, are you?>”

“<Of course not,>” he said, packing ice into the blender. “<But they don’t know that.>”

“<Good. They’re so young. Are they really married?>”

“<They said they were.>”

“<God, such babies!>”

“<Some people get married at eighteen and stay together for seventy years.>”

The blender whirred before Ashley spoke again.

“<And some people,>” she said. “<Get divorced at twenty-three with two kids under five and no good job prospects.>”

Aoki laughed. “<Aw, but look at them. They seem so happy. It’s cute.>”

“<You’re too much of a romantic, Aoki,>” she sighed.

“<Maybe so,>” he agreed, picking up the large round glass with two straws. “<Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to bring them their ‘drink.’>”

She gave him a sarcastic nod as he backed away to the patio. Aoki gently set the cocktail on the table and Akane let out a tiny squeal of delight and took a sip.

“Wow that’s good!” she said, smacking her lips. “You can’t even taste the alcohol!”

“How about that?” Aoki smiled. “Now what would you guys like to eat?”

“Grilled cedar salmon--”

“Double bacon burger--”

“The ahi sashimi--”

“Oyster shooters--”

“Pork ribs--”

“Coconut shrimp--”

Aoki struggled to keep up as they named nearly every item on the menu. “Are you sure you guys want all that?”

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

“All right,” he sighed and took their menus from them. “Coming right up!”

* * *

“Ah, that was great!”

Ranma leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. 

“I agree,” said Akane, mirroring the gesture. “Maybe too much. I”m gonna have to do so many situps to work this off!”

“We’re on vacation, no need to work out. I’m not.”

“Oh? What happened to ‘keeping it tight?’”

“It’ll stay tight for a few days of relaxation.”

She giggled. “Maybe so.”

_ RRRRRRRRRRSH. CRASH. KRRRSHW! _

As a loud sound erupted nearby, Ranma and Akane leaped to their feet and rushed to the railing of the patio, peering over the side. About two hundred yards away, near where the ocean met a cliffside lagoon with a peaceful waterfall, the earth had cracked open and something fiery was emerging. 

Aoki and Ashley joined them at the railing, watching as a large, human-like creature arose from the ground, its body made of molten orange rock. 

“Is that a--” Ranma began.

“--Lava monster?” Akane finished. 

Aoki’s jaw dropped open. “Sure looks like it.”

Ranma looked over at him. “I thought stuff like this doesn’t happen in America.”

“It doesn’t,” Aoki replied. “Not normally.”

Akane turned to Ranma. “We have to do something!”

“Aw, Akane,” he whined. “I don’t wanna fight a lava monster on my honeymoon!”

“But we can’t let it get to town!”

“Honeymoon,” Ranma repeated firmly.

She narrowed her eyes. “Fine. You stay here. I’ll do something about it myself.”

He spread his hands out in a go-get-’em gesture. “Be my guest.”

With a sigh, she placed her hands on the railing and vaulted herself over, running off in the direction of the lava monster. 

Aoki turned to Ranma in bewilderment. “You’re not gonna help her?”

Ranma gave him a dismissive wave. “Pfft, she’s got it handled.”

In less than five minutes, Akane had led the monster over to the lagoon and under the waterfall, cooling its body to hard stone. She jumped up and pulverized it with one powerful punch, turning its body into dust that floated on top of the water of the lagoon. As her fist made contact with the thing’s stone skull, Ranma pulled out the disposable camera and took a picture. 

She ran back to the tavern and jumped up over the railing. With a smile at Ranma, she brushed the volcanic dust off the front of her dress with her hands. “There, see? It took no time at all.”

“Well, I’m still glad I didn’t do it,” Ranma muttered. 

“Then should we go back to the hotel? I want to change clothes if we’re going to the luau tonight.”

“I still haven’t found a gift for Ryoga!”

“There’s plenty of time, I want to change!”

“Fine,” Ranma grumbled. He turned to Aoki and shoved a couple of bills into his hands. “Here. I don’t know how tipping works. Is this a good tip?”

Aoki looked down at the $200 Ranma had handed him. “Yeah, man.”

Ranma grinned. “Great. See ya!”

With a hop over the railing, Ranma and Akane were gone. 

“<Who were those guys?>” Ashley asked, staring after the two teenagers. 

“<I have no idea,>” Aoki said, shaking his head. He shoved one bill into his pocket and handed the other to Ashley, who smiled brightly in return. “<But they seem pretty cool.>”

* * *

A picture of Akane in her new clean dress. A picture of the ocean from their balcony. Five pictures at the luau, of the hula dancers and fire acrobats. One picture of Ranma in front of the fountain in the atrium. 

When they tumbled into bed this night, Akane made sure the outside door was closed. 

They finally fell asleep after midnight, exhausted but blissful.

It didn’t stay that way.

Only a few hours later, Akane awoke, feeling cold. The room was dark and the moonlight so faint she could hardly make out anything. Instinctively, she reached out to the other side of the bed, her hand spreading out against the sheets.

And found nothing.

She sat up in a panic. Ranma was gone. She started pulling off the blankets and sheets, throwing the pillows aside, as though he was hiding behind them. Her breath was coming rapidly, her heart pounding in her ears. 

“Ranma!” She started crying. “Ranma!”

“Akane! Akane, I’m here!”

And he was, kneeling on the floor in front of the bed, holding her hands in his.

“You were gone!” she sobbed. “Where did you go?”

“I was just in the bathroom.” He reached up and cupped her face with one hand. “It’s okay.”

She tried to blink away her tears. They were burning her eyes so much she could barely make out Ranma’s features. “It’s not okay! It’s not!”

“I’m sorry--”

“No!” She shrieked and covered her face with her hands, pushing his out of the way. “No, I’m sorry! I’m ruining everything!”

“No, you’re not--”

“I am, I am!” She lowered her hands to her lap, but they were shaking. “Ranma, I feel like my brain is broken.”

He looked up at her with such tender concern her heart nearly crumbled. 

“Do you want to talk to Toshiko-sensei?”

“Are you kidding? A long distance call from Hawaii? From a hotel phone?”

He rose and sat beside her on the bed, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Talk to me, then?”

“Oh, Ranma, I--” She wrapped her arms around her body, trying to shrink herself in his grasp. “I’m so scared you’ll hate me.”

“Never,” he said. “Never ever.”

“I thought things would get better,” she whispered. “If we were together, if we were happy. And now, here we are, married, in this beautiful place, and I’m ruining our honeymoon by acting like a selfish idiot.” 

“No, Akane, no you’re not.” He reached down and pulled her legs up, so that she was sitting in his lap, then grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the two of them. He knew she was tough, probably the toughest girl he had ever met, but at the moment she felt very small and breakable. 

“How am I going to--” She buried her face in his chest. “How am I going to go away to university if I can’t be without you for even five minutes?”

She was shaking. He rested his chin on top of her head, holding her close. “I’ll go with you.”

“It’s not practical.”

“Since when have we ever done anything practical?”

“Ranma,” she whispered. “You can’t.”

“We’ll figure something else out, then. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

She started crying again, curling herself into a tighter ball as he held her. 

“I don’t know if anything will help.”


	11. Finding Help

Ranma awoke a little after sunrise. Akane had clung so tightly to him while she slept his arm was now completely numb. But he didn’t dare move. He remained still, watching the distant clouds through the glass of the balcony door as they floated through the sky. Their conversation from the night before repeated in his head. He didn’t know what to do. 

“Mmm, Ranma?”

“Oh, Akane, are you awake?”

“Mmmhmm.” She sat up and yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. “Good morning.”

He sat up as well, shaking his arm in an attempt to regain feeling. “Good morning. How do you feel?”

“Better.”

“Really?”

“Really.” She smiled. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“No apologies.”

“Okay then.”

“But you’re really feeling better?”

“Yes, I promise,” she said, leaning over to kiss him. “You know I can’t lie to you.”

“You are a pretty terrible liar,” he agreed. He leaned over the edge of the bed to pick up his tank top and boxers, slipping them on. “Are you hungry? We can order breakfast again, or go out if you want.”

“I want to go to the beach!” she said brightly, jumping up. She grabbed a hotel robe draped over a nearby chair and wrapped it around herself. 

“Ah, I don’t know, Akane,” Ranma said, scratching his chin. “I still haven’t found a gift for Ryoga--” 

“We can do that this afternoon! I want to go to the beach in the morning before it gets too crowded!” 

“I’m just not feeling it--”

“Ranma! Come on, we’re in Hawaii! They have great surfing here! You love to surf!”

“Nah, I’m good--”

“Ranma, I don’t get it! Are you worried about being a girl? You’ve been to the beach as a girl loads of times.”

“Yeah but--” He frowned, frustrated. “Not on my honeymoon. On my honeymoon, I’m supposed to be a guy.”

He turned away and crossed his arms, trying to hide how upset he was.

_ SPLASH. _

Ranma, now nearly a foot shorter, turned around to see Akane standing at the foot of the bed, holding the ice bucket, the semi-melted contents of which she had just thrown in his direction.

“What the heck are you doing?!”

“Don’t you get it?!” she yelled, glaring at him. “I’ve said it a million times, I like you the way you are! Boy or girl, Ranma is Ranma! And I love Ranma!”

She dropped the bucket and rushed forward, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. 

This was different.

Not only because now Akane was finally taller than him, although barely, but because being kissed as a girl by another girl was an entirely unique experience. His old instincts were there, to wrap his arms around her and pull her in closer, but he froze halfway through the motion, leaving his arms open. 

Akane pulled her head away, breaking their kiss, but left her arms around his neck. They were eye to eye like this. He didn’t have to bend his neck to look down at her. She wasn’t stretching up on her tip toes, but flat on her feet, same as he was. 

Different. Very different. 

“Akane--”

He came to his senses. Grabbed her waist. Pushed her away. 

“You don’t have to do this, just because we’re married.”

“I know I don’t have to,” she whispered. She reached out, touched his cheek gently to turn his gaze back to her. “I want to. I’ve wanted to for a long time.”

He looked back at her and was surprised to see how afraid she looked. He realized then she was telling him something about herself, something she had probably never told anybody before. 

“But I thought--” He furrowed his brow. “Didn’t you--enjoy yourself? With me? As a boy? Don’t you like me as a boy?”

“I just told you,” she said. “I do like you as a boy. And I like you as a girl. I like both.”

The both wasn’t referring to just himself, he realized. 

“Really?” He reached up and touched her face in the same way she was touching his. Even footing.

“Really.”

This time, he kissed her.

* * *

One picture of Ranma surfing. One picture of Akane, lounging on a beach chair reading a book she had bought at the airport. One picture of Ranma’s, or possibly Akane’s, thumb, they never would agree on who. One picture of the tavern they had eaten lunch at the day before as they passed by on the way back to the hotel. 

They showered, together, another brand new experience. Changed clothes, Ranma wearing an almost identical outfit to the previous day’s, only the shirt was red instead of blue. They held hands as they strolled along main street again, searching the shops. 

It was nearly dinner time when Ranma finally found it, displayed prominently in front of a shop at the far end of the road.

“This is it,” he said, grinning. “This is the perfect gift.”

Akane, standing next to him, said, “He will hate it.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Ranma. “This was made for him.”

“Ranma.” Akane’s tone was firm. “It’s a five foot tall statue of a wild boar.”

It was, in fact, a lifelike carving of polished wood depicting a boar, giant curved tusks jutting from its jaw, heavy brow narrowed in fury.

“Yeah, exactly!” Ranma said excitedly. 

A sales clerk bearing a name tag that read Aolani stepped out of the shop and smiled at the couple. 

“<Ah, I see you’ve met Kamapua’a!>” 

“Kamapua’a?” repeated Akane.

“<Oh, yes! Kamapua’a is a Hawaiian deity said to be half man, half hog.>”

Ranma turned to Akane, a big goofy smile on his face. “See, Akane? Made for him.”

She sighed. “How will we even get it on the plane?”

He waved his hand. “Eh, we’ll pay extra to check it.”

Akane turned to Aolani. “<How much?>”

“<Oh, for Kamapua’a? Three hundred and fifty dollars.>”

“<We’ll take it.>” Ranma shoved a wad of bills into the young woman’s hand. 

“<Great!>” Aolani grinned. “<I can have it shipped to your hotel, if you would like.>”

“<Sure.>” Akane gave her the information, and Aolani disappeared back inside the shop to make arrangements. 

“Akane, Akane.” Ranma stepped in front of Kamapua’a and posed, flexing his elbows outward. “Get a picture of me with Ryoga’s new best friend.”

She rolled her eyes but pulled out the camera.

_ Click. _

* * *

Dinner, back at the hotel dining hall. The band playing softly.

“I can’t believe this is our last night here,” Akane said wistfully, poking at her entree.

“Yeah, it’s gonna suck to go home,” Ranma agreed. “It’s so cold there.”

“Oh, I nearly forgot it would be cold again.” She thought back to the night before, when her body had chilled when she woke up to find Ranma gone from their bed. 

“Not a big deal, really. We’ll stay in and cuddle under the kotatsu.”

“Oh? Even if everybody’s home?”

“Sure, why not? We’re married now.”

“That’s true.” She hesitated. “We’ll have to tell them, won’t we?”

“Oh yeah,” said Ranma, taking a bite of his food. “Can’t wait to see the look on my old man’s face when I tell him we got married without him.”

“But what about my dad?” Her voice was starting to quaver. “Or your mom? Or Kasumi?”

Ranma attempted to reach over to her, but she wasn’t looking at him. She had the faraway look in her eyes that he knew was a warning. 

“Akane? Akane, look at me--”

“And they’ll all be there, won’t they? They’ll all be there, asking questions, and they’ll be so mad at me, they’ll just keep staring and asking questions and yelling--”

“No, Akane, no--”

He was out of his chair, kneeling in front of her, trying to hold her hands, but she had bent forward, clutching the sides of her head. Her breath was coming in short gasps and she was shaking all over. 

“Akane, it’s okay--”

“<Miss? Miss, are you all right?>”

A kindly looking older man had knelt besides Ranma, looking closely at Akane.

“<My wife,>” Ranma tried to explain, but his English was adequate at the best of times, and much worse when he was flustered. “<Sometimes--this happens. Breathing. Crying.>”

The other man nodded. “<I understand. I think she’s having a panic attack. Now, Miss? Or, I suppose, Mrs--?>”

“<Saotome, dear,>” said a middle aged woman who had walked up nearby. “<Remember from the other night?>”

“<Oh, yes, that’s right. The newlyweds. Mrs. Saotome.>” The man reached up and gently took one of Akane’s wrists, feeling for her pulse with his finger and thumb. “<Can you close your eyes for me?>”

Akane, still panting, followed his instructions, shutting her eyelids tight.

“<Now, focus on my voice. Take a deep breath in and hold it as I count to four. One, two, three, four. And out. One, two, three four. Again.>”

Akane obliged, and by the fourth repetition, she was starting to feel calmer. 

“<All right, and now, can you picture yourself someplace where you feel happy? Somewhere you feel at peace?>”

This was easy. In her bed, under the comforter on a cold morning, Ranma’s arms wrapped around her. She nodded. 

“<Wonderful. Go ahead and open your eyes.>”

Akane looked up to see the man smiling at her. He was plump, and balding, with a mustache in need of a trim, but he looked utterly kind. Ranma was next to him, looking fear stricken.

“I’m okay,” she said, first in Japanese. “<I’m okay.>”

“<Very well. Do you mind if we have a little chat?>” The man stood up and looked at Ranma, then back at Akane. “<One-on-one?>”

Ranma frowned. “<Wait-->"

“It’s okay.” The older woman standing nearby placed her hand on Ranma’s shoulder, speaking in Japanese. “My husband is a doctor. Why don’t you come sit over at the bar with me, right over there, and let them talk?”

He looked down at Akane. She nodded silently and he gave her hand a quick squeeze before walking away. 

The older man lowered himself into the chair Ranma had vacated on the other side of the table from Akane. He pulled out a notebook and pen from the pocket of his shirt.

“<Now, how’s your English? I’m afraid that despite being married to a Japanese woman for all this time, my language skills are subpar at best.>”

“<It’s pretty good.>”

“<Ah, fantastic. That makes things easier. And do you mind if I take notes? It’s a habit of mine.>”

Akane shook her head. “<I guess not.>”

“<What a relief. Now, my name is Dr. Henry Jenkins, I’m a psychiatrist-->"

“<A psychiatrist?>”

“<Yes, do you not know the word?>”

“<I know the word.>” Akane dropped her voice to a whisper. “<But psychiatrists are for crazy people.>”

Henry studied her for a moment before making a short note. “<I understand your concerns. The view of mental health in Japan is different than here in America, I know. Nonetheless, I would like to help you, if you would let me.>”

_ I don’t know if anything will help.  _ But here someone was, offering help, almost like he had been summoned to the task. She took a deep breath. “<All right.>”

“<Good. Now, Mrs. Saotome-->"

“Akane.”

“<Akane. I like that name. May I ask how old you are?>”

“<Eighteen.>”

“<Eighteen? And married already?>”

“<I know.>” Akane gave him a weak, but friendly, smile. “<We’re too young.>”

“<Well, who am I to judge? I was only nineteen when my wife and I met. And I would have married her that first day, if her father had let me,>” Henry laughed. He made another note. “<Now, your husband said that you experience these symptoms ‘sometimes.’ Can you tell me exactly how often?>”

“<You mean like, the breathing, the crying, the shaking?>”

“<Yes. Or any other symptoms you may experience.>”

“<Sometimes,>” she said slowly. “<Sometimes not for a long time. Weeks. Maybe a whole month. But then sometimes it’ll be every day for a bunch of days. And it’s not always like that. Sometimes it’s just nightmares. Sometimes I’m just so sad I can’t even get out of bed. And sometimes I forget things, things that I’ve known for a long time.>”

“<I see,>” Henry replied, taking more notes. “<And how long has this been going on? Not your whole life, I hope?>”

“<No.>” Akane shook her head. “<A little over a year, I guess.>”

“<And did you experience something traumatic?>”

“<I almost died.>” She gripped at the fabric of her dress, scrunching it in between her fingers. “<And then a few months ago, Ranma almost died.>”

“<And the scar on your hand? Did you do that to yourself?>”

Instinctively, Akane moved to cover the thin, faded white x carved into the back of her right hand.

“<No.>”

“<Someone did it to you?>”

“<Yes.>”

“<I see,>” said Henry again. “<So your trauma was compounded, physical, and mental. Do you have anyone that you see about this?>”

“<No, I mean, I have a friend I talk to, that I call, when I’m feeling really bad. Toshiko. She’s a doctor.>”

“<Not a psychiatrist?>”

“<No, she’s a general-->" Akane hesitated. “<I don’t know the word.>”

“<General practitioner?>”

“<Yes, I think so.>”

“<And does it help? To talk to her?>”

“<Yes. She told me similar things to what you did. How to breathe and get calm, and other things.>”

“<Good,>” Henry said, smiling. “<If it helps you, please keep in touch with her.>”

“<It does.>”

“<However, I’d also like to give you the information to a colleague of mine. He’s Kyoko’s--my wife’s--brother. His name is Dr. Serizawa. Please tell me you live in Tokyo?>”

“<I do.>”

“<Great. That makes things convenient.>” Henry flipped his pad to a new page and scribbled down a name, phone number, and address. “<He is a psychiatrist, and he is specially trained to help with the mental health of young adults. It is possible he may think medication is necessary as well.>”

“<Medication?>” Akane’s shoulders and back stiffened. “<No! No way!>”

Henry looked at her with concern. “<Tell me, Akane, have you ever had a cold?>”

“<Cold? Like being sick? Yes.>”

“<And to feel better, you take medicine, yes?>”

“<Yes.>”

“<Well, think of it that way. Your brain has a bad cold. Or perhaps a flu. And it won’t get better until you start taking care of yourself. And sometimes, that includes medicine.>”

He tore the sheet of paper out of his notebook and held it out to her.

“<Here.>”

Akane stared at the paper, her resolve wavering. She looked over at Ranma, sitting at the bar, several feet away. As if he knew she was looking, he turned his head and made eye contact. 

He nodded.

She turned back to Henry and reached out her hand, taking the paper. 

“<Thank you.>”

* * *

While Akane talked with Henry, Ranma sat at the bar with Kyoko, anxiously looking over every few seconds. 

“Calm down, Saotome-san. My husband is quite a good doctor.”

“Ranma. Call me Ranma.”

“If you would like.”

“I don’t know if I like anything right now,” he muttered. 

“My name is Kyoko, by the way.”

“Oh.” He nodded his head forward in an attempt at a bow. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiled, slightly amused. “May I ask how old you are, Ranma?”

“Eighteen. I know, I know, married, at eighteen, too young, I get it.”

She laughed. “No judgment about that from me. I was simply concerned that the two of you seem to be so--how should I put this? Anxious? Hurt? At such a young age.”

Ranma looked at her for a long moment before finally saying, “We’ve been through a lot.”

“Yes, unfortunately, some people go through more than others in a short time.”

“What kind of doctor is this guy, anyway?” Ranma asked, watching Henry take notes as he talked to Akane. 

“He’s a psychiatrist. And a very good one.”

“A psychiatrist?” Ranma looked shocked. “Psychiatrists are for crazy people. And criminals.”

“Yes, I used to have that point of view myself, at your age,” Kyoko said. “Until I met Henry, when I came to America for college. And then when my brother became one.”

“I don’t know,” grumbled Ranma, frowning. 

“The scar on your leg,” Kyoko nodded her head down in the direction of Ranma’s calf, sticking out of his shorts. “You had surgery, yes?”

“Yeah. I broke it pretty bad a few months ago.”

“I assumed. I’m a surgeon myself. And after surgery, they gave you painkillers? And you had physical therapy?”

“Yeah,” said Ranma. “It sucked.”

She laughed. “Well, it’s possible that your wife’s mind is like your broken leg.”

_ I feel like my brain is broken.  _

Ranma swallowed and looked back at Kyoko with sad eyes. “Maybe.”

“So what would help her, then, is what helped you. Therapy. Medication. Like your painkillers.”

Ranma looked down at his hands. “I would do anything to take her pain away.”

“That’s good. I’m sure she’ll need your support.”

He felt a tingle on his neck. He looked over at Akane and found her staring back at him, her eyes questioning. Searching his expression for something. Approval.

He nodded. 

She turned away and so did he. 

“Anything that will help her, I’m here for her.”

* * *

One picture of the two of them together, taken at their request by Kyoko. She turned the camera vertically so that she could capture both of them in the frame. They smiled, looking much happier than they actually felt, but it wasn’t disingenuous. There was relief in their expressions, an aura of seeing a small light above when you’ve been lost underground. 

Kyoko handed Ranma their camera back, and the young couple walked away, arm in arm. Henry put his arm around Kyoko as they watched them go.

“<So, were you able to help her?>” asked Kyoko.

“<I think so. She seemed open to it, at least.>”

“<And you promised no working on vacation.>”

“<It wasn’t exactly work, I was just being a good samaritan.>”

“<Well, your kindness is why I love you so much.>”

“<And what did you think of the boy? The husband?>”

“<An interesting young man. But I can tell you this much. He is completely devoted to her.>”

“<Good. She deserves it. Shall we have a drink before bed?>”

“<Sounds good to me.>”

* * *

Akane held Ranma's arm tightly as they rode the elevator up to their room.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"When we get upstairs, can we just go to sleep?"

"Sure."

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"He gave me a number. For a--for a psychiatrist."

"All right."

"Is it? Is it okay if I call?"

"You don't need to ask me."

"But you don't think I'm--that I'm crazy, or a freak?"

"No."

"Ranma, can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"You were a pretty lousy fiance."

Surprised, he laughed. "Sometimes, I guess. Fair enough."

"But--" She clutched his arm tighter, burying her face in his shirt. "You're a really good husband."

"I'll take it."

"Ah!" Akane suddenly looked up and sighed. "I can't believe that I'm eighteen and in an arranged marriage! I never thought that would be me."

"Same here."

"And I can't believe I'm happy about it."

"Same here."

_ Ding. _

They stepped off the elevator, went to their room, and fell asleep.


	12. Leaving

"Ranma? Ranma, time to wake up."

A yawn. A stretch. Akane sitting on the foot of the bed, her satin nightgown slipping down her shoulder.

"Mmm. Good morning."

She turned to him, holding the disposable camera. "We need to get up and get going so we can drop this at the one hour photo to get them developed in time for our flight."

"Okay, okay." He stretched again, straightening his legs. His right one felt a little stiff, although it usually did, nowadays. Standing, he scratched his stomach, the bottom of his tank top riding up to reveal a strip of skin above his boxers.

_ Click. _

"Hey!"

Akane giggled and wound the camera. "There were two pictures left. Might as well use them up."

"Only one left now, huh?"

He leaned over as if to kiss her, but instead snatched the camera away while her guard was down.

"Hey!"

"Smile."

He lifted the camera and peered through the viewfinder, capturing Akane's smiling face, her hair sticking out in all directions.

_ Click. _

* * *

Akane opted to wear a blouse and skirt, with tights underneath, for their flight home. She made sure to pack a sweater and leg warmers in her carryon for when they arrived in Japan. Ranma, however, dressed in a similar outfit he had the past few days, Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, flip-flops.

“Are you ready to go?” 

She sighed. “Ranma. You’re starting to look like Principal Kuno.”

“How dare you?” he asked indignantly. “I thought we would manage to go this entire vacation without once mentioning that jerk, but apparently that’s too much to ask. Besides, I’m pulling this look off, he does not.”

“Will you at least wear some pants? And maybe some sneakers? It will be cold when we get there.”

“Fine, if you insist. I’m keeping the shirt on, though. It looks cool.”

“No, it does not, but fine.”

“Sometimes, I swear I’m the only one who knows anything about fashion.”

Ranma went to drop off the camera at the one hour photo while Akane managed the checkout process at the front desk. He took the time to have one last stroll on the beach, which was a bit harder to do in sneakers than in flip-flops. 

White sands. Blue sky. Clear water. Yellow sun. Waves crashing on the shore and fading away. 

He was a married man now. Here, at least. Far away from everything and everyone that had ever caused him trouble. Except for Akane. But she was the best kind of trouble, the kind of trouble that had a cute smile and warm eyes and a temper to match his own. They had been alone here, with nothing and no one to get in the way. 

It had been great.

Going home--he already felt at home, if Akane was there. Going back. He hadn’t wanted to think about how different things would be, now. How their family and friends would react. There would be a lot of happiness, and maybe Akane was right, they would be a little upset. But it would all work out, wouldn’t it?

His gut seized up. He wished he had apologized to his mother before he left. 

He turned and trudged back up the beach to pick up the pictures.

* * *

“Ranma!”

Akane looked angry as he returned to the hotel. She was waiting outside with their luggage for the shuttle to the airport. 

“Sorry. I got the photos developed.” He handed her the envelope.

“Thank you for doing that, but you could have helped carry this down first!” She slapped the large wooden crate the shop had shipped Kamapua’a in. “It was heavy."

“You carried it?”

“Of course I did, the bellhops here are so scrawny they can barely lift our luggage.”

“Glad I married a strong wife.” He grinned. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll carry it the rest of the way.”

“Hmmph. You better.”

He did. 

Onto the shuttle, through the airport, through boarding, where it cost an absurd amount to check. When Ranma and Akane finally settled into their seats, he stretched his arms above his head and his bones cracked and popped. 

“Ryoga better be grateful.”

“I really don’t think he will be.”

As the plane rose in the air for takeoff, Akane looked out of the window.

“Bye bye Hawaii,” she whispered wistfully.

Ranma took her hand, running his thumb over her wedding ring. “Don’t worry Akane. We’ll never have problems again.”

She looked back at him with a wry smile. “You really should stop saying that.”

“Okay, I admit it’ll probably be crazy when we get home. Let’s just spend the next few hours relaxing then, okay?”

“Okay.”

Three hours later, Ranma was in a very familiar situation.

“How--are--these--same--brats--on--this--flight--?”

One of the toddler triplets from a few days ago was sitting behind him again, kicking the back of Ranma’s seat and screeching. The other two were once again playing the game of running up and down the aisles, also screeching. 

“Still wanna have three kids, Ranma?”

“Not--all--at--once.”

“Oof, me neither, now that I think about it. Can you imagine?”

“I’m--starting--to--get--an--idea.”

* * *

“Nabiki? You’re home?”

Nodoka stood up from her place at the table as Nabiki entered the living room. Soun and Genma were playing shogi nearby. Soun immediately jumped up and hugged his daughter. 

“Nabiki! I’m so glad you’re home already!”

“I was just here two days ago,” she said, wriggling out of her father’s grasp. 

“It’s the middle of the week,” Nodoka said. “Don’t you have class?”

“Eh, I skipped today. I had to be home for something.”

“Oh?”

“Hello? Everyone?”

Voices from the entryway. Nodoka looked up expectantly, but the couple that entered the room wasn’t Ranma and Akane. 

“Oh. Kasumi. Tofu. Nice to see you.”

“And you as well, Auntie. Oh my, Nabiki, you’re home too?”

“Yep.”

Kasumi looked around the room. “Are Ranma and Akane home?”

“No,” said Nodoka. “They’re on some sort of training trip.”

The corners of Kasumi’s mouth pulled down into a slight frown. “That’s disappointing. I was hoping everyone would be here. I actually tried to call Nabiki and ask her to come home, but no one answered. Now I see why.”

“Don’t worry,” said Nabiki. “I’m pretty sure they’ll be back soon.”

“Really?” asked Nodoka. “When?”

“Oh, I would say, right about--” Nabiki snapped her fingers in the direction of the front door. “Now.”

“We’re home!”

Akane’s voice. Then she and Ranma were both in the living room with everyone else, smiling. Nodoka took notice of Akane’s teal sweater and pastel skirt, and the fact that Ranma was wearing a gray sweater over what appeared to be a button up Hawaiian shirt. 

“Oh wow, everyone is here, huh?” Akane said. 

“Akane!” Her father said sternly. “Where have the two of you been?”

“Oh, well.” Akane smiled. “We were--”

“On a training trip, like I told you,” blurted out Nabiki. A realization had clicked into place for her when Kasumi had said she had tried to call her home. 

“Yes,” said Akane slowly, suspiciously. “That’s right. Training.”

“What I think is more important,” said Nabiki. “Is that Kasumi is here to tell us something. Isn’t that right, Kasumi?”

Her big sister hesitated. “Well, we were going to wait for dinner, but, oh--I’m so excited!”

She took Tofu’s hand and faced everyone with a smile. “I’m pregnant!”

Everyone in the room opened their mouths in shock. 

“You mean,” said Soun softly. “I’m gonna be a grandpa?”

“That’s right!”

Sobbing, he swept his daughter up in a hug, lifting off her feet.

“Daddy, put her down--”

“Sorry, sorry,” Soun said, lowering Kasumi to the ground. “I’m so happy, my first grandchild.”

“It’s really wonderful, Kasumi,” Nodoka said. 

“Oh, congratulations!” Akane squealed and threw her arms around her sister’s shoulders. Nodoka noticed a tiny flash of light, a reflection, but it disappeared so quickly she wasn’t sure. 

She looked over at Ranma, standing next to Tofu.

“Hey, congratulations, doc,” Ranma said, grinning. “You guys are gonna do great.”

“Thank you Ranma,” Tofu replied, laughing. 

Ranma stuck his hand out for Tofu to shake, and as they clasped hands, Ranma brought his left hand down as well to rest on top in a friendly manner.

Nodoka watched it in slow motion, noticing the same thing she had noticed on Akane, confirming what she had thought. And then she was walking over the table, stepping on the table itself, reaching out to Ranma, grabbing his left forearm, holding his hand up. 

“Ranma,” she said. “Is this a wedding ring?”

The room fell into stunned silence again. 

“Uh, maybe?” Ranma pulled his hand away and rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously.

“Akane!” Kasumi pulled out of her sister’s hug and looked at her left hand as well. “Did you really?”

“Sorry, Kasumi,” Akane said in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to steal your thunder.”

“I don’t care about that,” Kasumi said. “What about school?”

“School?” Akane blinked at her. “I’m still going to go to school.”

“You promise?”

“Of course!”

“Good then.” Kasumi smiled. “Then I am really happy for you. Ranma loves you so much.”

Akane returned the smile. “I know.”

“I---KNEW IT!” Soun, tears streaming down his face, now grabbed Akane in a hug, lifting her up even higher than he had Kasumi. “I knew it! I knew it this whole time!”

“You did, Dad,” Akane said, laughing. “Now please put me down.”

He lowered her back to her feet but didn’t quite let go. “My little girl. My baby.”

“I’m a married woman now, Dad.”

He cried even harder.

“Tendo-kun--” Genma finally spoke up, placing his hand on Soun’s shoulder. “We did it.”

Soun turned and grabbed his friend by the front of his gi. “We did it!”

“The school will carry on!” The two men cried in synchronized celebration. 

“Uh, you’re welcome?” Nabiki spoke up, spreading out her hands. “This wouldn’t have happened without me.”

“That’s true.” Akane turned to her with a tearful smile and took Nabiki’s hands in her own. “Ranma told me everything you did for us. I owe you so much.”

Nabiki found herself blushing. “Well, it’s not that big of a deal, really.”

“Nabiki, really? You did this?” Soun asked.

“Well--”

Soun scooped her up in a hug, the same way he had his other two daughters, lifting her in the air. “Nabiki! Thank you! You were always my favorite for a reason.”

“Wait, really?” she asked, confused. 

Akane was also being pulled into a hug, by Genma, of all people. 

“Oh, I--”

“A daughter,” Genma whispered in her ear, trying not to cry. “I finally have a daughter.”

Akane patted him on the back. “Yes, you do.”

Nodoka watched the hugging and crying and congratulating going around the room. Ranma wouldn’t turn to look at her, Neither did Akane, but her sisters were crowded in close, admiring her ring and complimenting how fresh-faced she looked. Ranma was simply standing next to her, deliberately avoiding her gaze. 

Her son had gotten married without her. Without even telling her. And now he didn’t even want to share the celebration with her. 

“Ranma,” she said softly. “How did you get married? You’re only eighteen, and none of us were there.”

“Oh, uh--” Ranma blinked down at her and crossed his arms. “We went to Hawaii.”

“Hawaii?” asked Tofu. “How did you pull that off?”

“That’s where Nabiki came in,” Ranma said, waving at his new sister. Nabiki gave him a wink over Akane’s shoulder. 

“Ranma,” said Genma, dropping the pitch of his voice. “You had the money to go to Hawaii, but not to China?”

“Why would I go to China?”

“To cure your curse!” his father exclaimed, exasperated. 

“Oh, I’m not really worried about that anymore.”

Genma’s mouth dropped open. “What are you talking about?”

Ranma shrugged. “I’m fine the way I am.”

“But--”

"I said I'm fine," Ranma snapped. He turned to Nodoka. "Do you have a problem with that, Mom?"

His tone was both sharp and sad.

"Of course not, Ranma," she replied sadly. She wanted to say more, to reconcile, to hug her son the way Soun had hugged his daughters. But she couldn't. She owed him too much.

"Oh, let's go out for dinner!" Nabiki exclaimed. "To celebrate!"

"I can cook," said Kasumi.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Akane. "You don't even live here anymore. It's not your job. Plus, you're pregnant!"

"That's right," agreed Nabiki. "Better let others take care of you before you have to start taking care of a baby."

"And who exactly is going to pay for all of us?" Soun sighed.

They all turned to Tofu expectantly.

"Uh, we're a big group," the doctor said nervously. "And I should really start saving for the baby."

Ranma scratched his cheek with one finger. "You know, I have some money left over from the trip. Got it changed to yen on the way home. I could pay."

Soun clapped him heartily on the back. "Ranma-kun! My new favorite son-in-law!"

"Hey," said Tofu weakly.

Nabiki started pulling at Akane's wrist. "Let's gooooo!"

"Okay, okay!"

Everyone made their way towards the front door, bundling up, coats and scarves and hats and shoes.

Nodoka exited the house last, watching the merry crew as they set out through the front gates. Genma paused and waited for her, reaching his hand out as she stepped forward 

She pushed it away in contempt, giving him a sharp glare.

"Everything is your fault."

Stunned, he stood frozen in place as his wife pushed past him to follow the rest of their family. 

* * *

"Akito-chan!"

"Nabiki! Back again already? Oh, and you've brought more friends."

"My family." She grinned. "Is that big table in the dining room open?"

"Yeah, it is. It's not quite time for the dinner rush yet."

"Great! And you'll be our server, won't you?"

"You want me to come out from behind the bar?" he asked in mock indignation. 

"Please?"

"Fine, fine."

He led the group to a separate room behind the bar and over to a big round dining table with a curved booth. They all squeezed in, awkwardly removing coats, Nabiki in the middle.

"Are you going to introduce me?" Akito asked as he passed out the menus.

"Sure, sure." Nabiki pointed to the far end at her left. "You met Nodoka the other day. And that's her husband, Genma. And Ranma--"

"I know Ranma," Akito sighed. "Hey, Ranma."

"Yo, Akito!" Ranma grinned and raised his hand in greeting.

"And my little sister, his new wife, Akane--"

"You two finally got married? Congrats!"

"Thank you!" said Akane.

"And then there's me, of course, and my father, Soun--"

"Tendo-san." Akito bowed his head slightly.

"And my big sister Kasumi and her husband, Tofu, plus the baby she's carrying!"

"Nabiki-chan!" Kasumi chided her.

"Ah, so a second congratulations is an order. Sounds like the table is in need of champagne, for celebration."

"Yes, please!" said Ranma and Akane in unison. 

"The two of you aren't old enough to drink," remarked Soun.

"Are you sure? They look twenty to me," Akito said, giving the couple a wink. "After all, they're married."

Soun let out a deep breath. "I suppose it is a special occasion."

"Yay!" The two teenagers cheered.

Akito smiled. "I'll be right back."

“Akane!” Nabiki turned to her sister. “You have to tell us about Hawaii!”

“Oh yes,” said Kasumi. “Was it warm there?”

“It was beautiful,” said Akane. “But wait, I have pictures!”

Akane dug around in her coat and pulled out two envelopes, opening them and dumping their contents on the table. The rest of her family began to ooh and ahh, passing the pictures from end to end among each other. 

“Oh, Akane, you looked so pretty.”

“My little girl, my little girl.” 

“What an interesting pineapple plant.”

“What is this?"

“Oh, that’s Ranma’s thumb.”

“My thumb? You were the one holding the camera!”

“I was not!”

A picture finally reached Nodoka, all the way at the end of the group. She stared down at it as the voices around her blurred together. 

Ranma and Akane, at their wedding ceremony. Looking at each other, their eyes so full of love. 

She had missed it. She had missed everything.

Trembling, she touched the photo with her fingertips, letting them rest on Ranma's face. Her strong, handsome boy. A gallant, courageous man. Grown. Married. 

Her husband reached for her hand. She pushed it away again.

"Champagne!" 

Akito had returned with a bottle and several glasses.

"Just water for me, thank you," said Kasumi.

"Of course, of course."

_ Pop!  _

Akito elegantly uncorked the bottle and began pouring, to the cheers of Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki. 

Once everyone had their glasses, Nabiki began chanting, "Toast! Toast! Toast! Toast!"

"To the happy couple, of course!" Tofu raised his glass.

"To the new parents!" Ranma raised his.

_ "Kanpai!" _

They drank. They laughed. They shared stories. Talking over each other.

"A lava monster? Really?"

"Ranma, you didn't help her?"

"Honeymoon!"

"Have you found out if it's a boy or girl yet?"

"No, we want it to be a surprise!"

"Have you picked out names?"

"What kinda tree is this?"

"Banyan."

"Banana?"

"No, banyan! Banyan!"

"We haven't thought about names yet."

"Soun is a good one."

"Is it?"

"Bandana?"

"Ban! Yan!"

"Not enough pictures of the beach."

"Ah, is this you and Ryoga?"

"Ha! See, Akane? I told you."

Akito took their food orders. They ate. Drank again. More laughing. More stories. And when they finally stumbled outside, it was dark, the sun having set long ago.

"Ranma, it's too cold to walk. Carry me!"

Without waiting for a response, a tipsy Akane jumped on her husband's back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oof! You're not even that drunk!"

"A husband should carry his wife when she needs it!"

"You don't need it, you just want it!"

But he was carrying her anyway, their family laughing and following along.

"I always thought they acted like an old married couple," Nabiki said.

"And now they are one," Kasumi added cheerily.

Nodoka trailed behind the rest of the group. She wanted to share their joy, their comfort, their familiarity. But Ranma never once looked back at her. 

When they arrived home, she slipped away to her bedroom, and the only one who noticed was Genma.

The others remained in the entryway, removing their outerwear, their shoes.

Akane neatly hoisted herself up, placing her palms flat on Ranma's shoulders, flipping forward to land steadily on her feet.

"Are you even drunk at all?" Ranma asked.

She giggled. "Not really."

"Now wait a minute--"

"Come on, let's go to bed!"

She grabbed hold of his wrist and started pulling him up the stairs.

"Woo! Get it Akane!" cheered Nabiki.

Akane turned and winked at her sister over Ranma's shoulder.

"Oh, I plan to."

"Oh my," said Kasumi. "Is this really appropriate?"

"We're married!"

Soun was crying again. "I forgot about this part of having my little girl married under my roof."

"Wait just a minute," Genma said. He stepped forward and grabbed Ranma's pigtail, yanking him backwards down the stairs. "I need to have a father-son talk with Ranma."

"No need for that, Pop. Trust me, I definitely know how to do what I'm about to do."

Akane blushed. 

"Oh my," said Kasumi.

Nabiki clapped her hands in delight. "Yes! I am loving this!"

"I'm not," Soun moaned.

"It's not about that!" Genma yelled, once again yanking hard on Ranma's hair. "But it is important."

"It's okay, Ranma." Akane leaned down and kissed her husband, right in front of everybody. "Just don't take too long."

"Woo!" hollered Nabiki again.

"Come on!"

Genma dragged his son off to the dojo, Ranma crossing his arms and looking infuriated the whole way.


	13. The Reckoning

"So what's this about?"

Ranma shook off his father as they entered the dojo. He raised his hands in a defensive pose.

His father didn't reply, simply stared at the back wall, hands behind him.

"You wanna fight or something?" Ranma widened his stance.

Genma turned to him, his eyebrows low, his mouth turned downward. 

He let out a deep breath. Sat down. Put his hands on the floor. Bowed.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sorry."

Ranma stiffened. His father, apologizing? That only happened when he was trying to trick him, steal his food or manipulate him. But this? Seemed sincere.

Terrifying.

"For--for what?"

Genma slowly rose, sitting upright.

"For everything. For your life."

Silence.

"That's it?" asked Ranma. 

Genma blinked. "Should I say more?"

"Yeah!" yelled Ranma. "You can't just say some vague 'I'm sorry' and expect to be forgiven!"

"Forgiven? For what?"

"For what?!" Ranma was screeching. "For  _ what?!" _

"Yes."

"You really wanna know, Pop?"

"I asked, didn't I?"

"For one, the first thing you did, taking me away from my mother! Promising her we would commit seppuku! Moving me from shack to shack! Causing us to practically starve while training me to death! Selling me for food, multiple times!"

"I always got you back--"

"Shut up! I'm not done!" Ranma was panting with exertion. "The worst thing you did was tell me my whole life that girls were nothing but a distraction, that they would mess up my training. You made me think the only way to be a real man was to never tell anybody how I really felt about anything!"

He reached down and grabbed his father by the front of his gi, bringing him up to eye level. "I fell in love with Akane the first day we met, and because of all that bullshit you fed me, I almost lost her forever!"

"But you're married now--"

"I said shut up!" Ranma threw his father to the ground in disgust. "You think I don't know? The only reason you told me all that was to keep me away from girls because you knew one day we'd come here, and if I married one of your friend's daughters, you would have a free place to eat forever! Everything about my life was really about you and your stomach!"

Ranma sank to his knees, exhausted. "And the cats. How could I forget about the cats?"

Genma sat up. Straightened his glasses. Crossed his arms. Tilted his head back and forth, cracking his neck bones.

"And you know the worst part, Pop?" Ranma asked softly.

"What?"

"Sometimes you were really nice."

Genma looked over at him, but said nothing.

Ranma looked down, his palms flat on the floor.

"If I was sick, you gave me medicine. If I had a nightmare, you held me. If I got hurt, you bandaged me up."

He tried not to cry, his shoulders shaking with the effort. He wished he had ignored his father and went to bed with Akane.

"And I never knew which Pop I was gonna get."

They were silent again, for a long while.

"All right," said Genma with a sigh at long last. "So I wasn't the best dad."

Ranma exhaled. "You really weren't."

"I'm sorry."

"You said that already."

"Yes, but now I know what I'm sorry for."

"You do?"

"Yes. Everything you said is correct. A lot of the trouble--not all of it--in your life is my fault. And I am, truly, sorry."

Ranma was out of energy, so all he said was, "Okay."

"But Ranma--"

"What?"

"I don't care if you never forgive me. But you should forgive your mother."

"Really?" His father, making such a selfless request? Hard to believe.

"Yes, really. Listen, Ranma--" Genma hesitated. "When I took you from your mother, she wasn't well."

"She was sick?"

"Not exactly." Genma thought for a moment. "I know that, lately, Akane-kun has been--different. Quieter. Sad. There are days where I hardly see her."

Ranma straightened his posture, folding his arms over his chest.

"After you were born, your mother was--similar. Maybe worse. I should have been a better husband. Stayed and helped her. But I didn't know what to do. So I just left. With you."

"You never told me this."

"How could I? Hadn't I hurt your mother enough?"

Father and son sat side by side, both staring at the dojo door, arms folded, legs crossed. 

"So, please, Ranma. Forgive your mother. The fact that you got married without her there hurt her deeply."

Ranma lost a little bit of his defensiveness. "I didn't do it to hurt her."

"Well, I think we established sometimes it doesn't matter what your intentions are."

"That's probably the smartest thing you've ever said." Ranma sighed and stood up. "Maybe you're right."

As he walked toward the door, his father called out to him.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"For what it's worth, I'm very glad you married Akane-kun. And not just for the free food!" Genma grinned. "Out of all your fiancees, she was always my favorite."

Ranma, unable to help himself, looked over his shoulder and grinned back.

"Yeah. Mine too."


	14. A Start

_ BRZZT. BRZZT. BRZZT. _

Nodoka stretched out her hand, turned her alarm off. Her husband, in the futon with her.

No futon at all next to her. 

Of course there wouldn’t be. Ranma would be spending all his nights with Akane now. 

She combed her hair. Dressed for the day. It felt even colder than it had the previous week. She clutched a blanket around herself as she made her way to the kitchen. 

The light was already on. She could smell--oh, everything. Meat and eggs and something baking. She could hear the hiss of a frying pan, the burn of a flame. And a steady, but quick, tapping on wood, something being chopped. 

She lifted the curtain of the entryway and looked at her son, silhouetted by the morning light shining through the window. His back was to her as he finished chopping an onion, and he smoothly slid the pieces off the cutting board with the back of his knife into a waiting bowl. 

He was so tall now. And he was wearing a sweater again, over a Hawaiian shirt like he had the day before. Made him seem older. Broad shouldered. 

She stepped forward. He turned. Smiled.

“Hey, Mom.”

She returned the smile. “Good morning, Ranma.”

“Hope you don’t mind I started breakfast already.” He skillfully grabbed a frying pan by the handle and flipped the pancake inside. 

“Not at all.” She stepped further into the kitchen. “It smells wonderful.”

“Thanks. I think I’m starting to get the hang of this stuff for real.”

“You’re a very quick learner.”

“Sometimes.” He rinsed off a knife in the sink, wiped it with a dish towel, and set it down on the counter, throwing the towel over his shoulder. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no you don’t have to be--”

“Yeah, I do.” He turned to face her. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you the way I did. Honestly, you were just trying to be my mom. It actually made me feel normal, for once in my life."

He was smiling at her. 

“Oh, Ranma, I’m the one who should be sorry. You were right, I shouldn’t have interfered, or been so harsh with you--”

“Nah. You should interfere. You’re my mom.” He considered what he had just said. “Well, maybe not all the time.”

She laughed and took his hands. “All right. But also I’m sorry for--”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“I’m gonna make you the same deal I have with Akane. No apologizing for past stuff. Only new stuff. Okay?”

She squeezed his hands. “Okay.”

“Except for one thing.” He let out a deep breath and pulled his hands away, turning back to the stove. “I’m sorry we got married without you there. But it wasn’t because I was mad at you. I mean, I was mad at you, but even if I wasn’t, I woulda done the same thing. It would have always been just me and Akane.”

Nodoka gazed at her son, processing what he had just told her. 

“Oh, I see. It was to protect her, wasn’t it?”

Ranma raised his eyebrows a little, but didn’t look over.

“I know how Akane has been acting lately. How she can’t handle being in front of big groups. I understand why you wouldn’t want her to have to go through a big wedding.”

Ranma said nothing.

Nodoka stood next to him and looked out of the window over the sink. “You know, you’re already a much better husband than your father was.”

Ranma grinned. “Well, that’s not hard to do.”

* * *

"Did Nabiki go home last night?"

Akane was asking her father as she took a seat at the kotatsu. Ranma and his mother brought in plates full of breakfast food and set them down. Genma was awake and at the table as well, letting out a breath of relief when his wife sat beside him.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Soun. "When Kasumi and Tofu left. After they rejected my offer to move back in here when they had the baby!"

"Can't imagine why they would say no to that," said Ranma, stacking his plate high with pancakes.

"She even said you two should have her old room," said Soun. "Since it's bigger. She's really never coming back."

"You can walk over there in five minutes, Dad."

"You two won't move out, will you? Even though you're married?"

Ranma and Akane looked at each other.

"No," she said, unsure. "But I am glad it's just the five of us here right now."

"You are?"

"Yeah," said Ranma. "We actually need to ask you guys something."

"What is it son?" asked Genma.

"Well," began Ranma. "Turns out, when you get married in the U.S., you're only married in the U.S. So, technically we're not married here yet."

"We were hoping you guys would go down to the municipal office with us today," said Akane. "It shouldn't take long. Maybe twenty minutes."

"We know you guys weren't there for the ceremony," said Ranma. "But this is kinda like our real wedding day."

"So?" asked Akane. "Will you?"

Their parents, all lined up on the opposite side of the table, looked back at them in silence.

"Guys?" asked Ranma after thirty seconds solid of no response.

The adults looked at each other, then back at their children. 

Simultaneously bursting into tears, they yelled, "Of course!"

* * *

Akane and Ranma wouldn't let their parents dress up. They insisted on it not being a big deal. The teenagers themselves wore simple outfits, sweaters in different colors, with pants for Ranma and a skirt for Akane. 

The municipal office was fairly empty when they arrived. It was still early morning, and the grumpier citizens of Nerima tended to be late risers.

The clerk at the desk handed them all the forms they needed. Residential confirmation. Parental consent. Name change.

"Name change?" asked Soun when Akane took the form.

"Um, yeah," Akane said, squirming in place. "I'm gonna be Akane Saotome."

"Really?" asked Genma excitedly.

Soun looked distraught. "But the dojo--"

"We can still call it the Tendo Dojo," said Ranma, sitting down and filling out his part of the paperwork. "No one actually cares about what the name of a place is, once it's popular enough."

"Is that so?" asked Soun.

"Yeah," said Ranma, nodding. "I found out when we were in America that McDonald's wasn't even founded by a guy named McDonalds. It was founded by a crocodile."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, that's what the little plaque in the restaurant said."

Akane, smiling, signed the bottom of her form. "Ray Kroc, Ranma. Not a crocodile."

"That's what I said."

The pair walked back up to the counter handing the clerk their forms. She gathered up all the paperwork, proof of identity, typed furiously into the computer, then reached into a deep drawer to pull out one more piece of paper. She directed Ranma and Akane to fill out the necessary information, signed it herself, and stamped it with an official seal.

"Congratulations," the clerk said in a flat tone. "The two of you are now officially married. Many happy returns. Next!"

Ranma and Akane took their license off the counter, each holding one side as they stepped out of the way of the next customer. They stared down at it together, their eyes poring over every character.

"This feels more real than when we did it the first time," Akane whispered.

"Probably because the form's in Japanese," said Ranma.

"And my name," said Akane. "Saotome. When people said it in English, it felt fake. Now everybody's gonna call me Saotome-san."

"Well, I'll always call you Akane."

She looked up at him, smiling. "I'll take it."


	15. The Worst Part

"Good morning, Akane!"

"Good morning!"

"You know the last thing you said to me was 'see you Monday, Hiroshi.'"

"Well, it's Monday, isn't it?"

"It's the next Monday."

Hiroshi gave Akane a laugh and a wave as he turned and headed through the school gates.

"Akane!"

Sayuri ran up and threw her arms around Akane's neck. Yuka followed close behind, although she just smiled instead of grabbing Akane.

"You were gone for a whole week!"

"Were you sick?" asked Yuka.

"Oh, no, just had to go on a--training trip."

"Nothing dangerous?" asked Sayuri, still holding on to Akane. "Not like last summer?"

"No, no, nothing like that."

"Akane!" exclaimed Yuka. "You finally remembered your gloves!"

Akane smiled nervously. "First time for everything, I guess."

"It's not even that cold out today," said Sayuri.

"Cold enough. Excuse me." Akane wiggled out of her friend's grasp. "I need to go to the front office before class starts."

"Okay," said Yuka. "But you have to tell us about your trip during lunch!" 

"I will!"

Akane waved and ran towards the building. Once inside, she slowed, heading to her shoe locker to change. She left on her coat and gloves even though it was warm in the school. Rubbing her gloved hands together, she made her way down the hallway towards the office, trying not to sweat.

"Good morning Tendo-san," said the receptionist as Akane opened the door and stepped inside. "Haven't seen you in a while. Not since Kuno-san graduated."

"Haven't needed to file any more complaints since he left," Akane replied, smiling.

"And what brings you here today?"

Akane edged closer to the desk. 

"Uh, I need a, uh, um," she whispered. "I need a name change."

"Name change?" The receptionist blinked. "Not often we have to do that, but I think I have a form around here somewhere."

She bent down and began digging through the drawers of her desk. There were other staff in the office behind her. Akane could swear they were all staring at her, expecting something.

The lights overhead felt very hot. She started sweating inside her coat. Her heart thumped in her ears.

"Ah, here it is!" The receptionist sat up in her chair and turned around from the filing cabinet behind her. "Just fill this out. May I ask the occasion?"

With shaking hands, Akane took the paper from her. Once she said it, everyone would know.

"I got married."

"Oh, really? To Saotome-san, I presume?"

Akane nodded.

"Arranged marriage, wasn't it? Such an outdated custom. Ah, it's a shame what some parents force their kids to do."

"It wasn't like that," Akane hissed. Realizing how disrespectful she must sound, she covered her mouth with one hand. 

"Tendo-san?"

"Saotome! I'm Saotome-san now!"

She had yelled it. In front of all those people. Who now really were staring at her, having paused their phone calls or filing or whatever it was they were doing.

She backed towards the door.

"I'm sorry, I--" She held up the form. "I'll bring this back later."

Akane ran down the hallway, rounding the corner as the warning bell chimed. Students were flowing in, surrounding her. She turned again, down a hallway that led only to a maintenance closet, found the alcove with the water fountain, and crouched down beneath it, trying to catch her breath.

"Akane?"

Yuka. Yuka must have seen and followed her. Now she was kneeling down, looking at Akane with concern. 

"Akane, what's wrong?"

"I'm all right, Yuka."

"No you're not."

"I'm tired of not being all right."

"I know."

"I should be happy."

"Oh? Why?"

Akane lifted her trembling hands. Removed her gloves. "I got married."

"Oh Akane! You and Ranma?"

"Of course, Ranma."

"So that's where you were this week?"

"You're not going to say congratulations?"

"Why? You seem unhappy."

"I'm not!"

"Then why are you under here?"

"I--" Akane thought about it. "I don't know. I just don't want everyone to know."

"Akane, everybody already knows."

"They do?"

"They may not know that you're married, but if you think you and Ranma were ever able to hide how crazy you are about each other for even one second, you're delusional."

Akane surprised herself by laughing. "I guess you're right."

"Well, I guess you could hide it. You know, the ring."

"I thought about it, but--" Akane shook her head. "Taking it off feels like betraying Ranma."

"What are you worried about, exactly?"

"Everyone staring at me. Asking questions."

"All right then. I won't let them."

"How?"

"Give me ten minutes, and then come to class. I promise it will work out."

Akane hesitated. Her friend looked so determined. "Okay."

"Great. See you soon."

Yuka squeezed Akane's hands, stood, and then was gone. Akane stayed where she was. Breathing. Counting. Naming things she could see, touch, hear, smell, taste. Once she got through today, things would be easier. And after school, she and Ranma could cuddle under the kotatsu, just like he promised.

She looked at her watch. It was time.

Carefully, she removed herself from the alcove and headed upstairs to her classroom. She removed her coat and packed away her gloves. With one more deep breath, she opened the door.

No one looked up.

The students kept their eyes locked to the front of the classroom. Some of them looked very pale and slightly sweaty, as if they were straining with effort. The teacher continued with his instruction, not even admonishing Akane for her tardiness.

Bewildered, Akane looked around the room. The only ones who looked back were Yuka and Sayuri, smiling and waving from their seats.

Akane smiled as well and took her seat next to them.

"See, Akane?" Yuka whispered, leaning over from her seat. "I told you I had it handled."

Akane nodded and pulled out her notebook. She let her wedding ring catch the winter sun shining through the window.

No one said a word.

Akane looked up at the blackboard. She didn't know what Yuka had told everyone. But later, when the teacher called her Saotome-san, no one reacted or turned to stare.

All in all, she had a pretty good day.

* * *

"Ranchan!"

"Ucchan! Shouldn't you be at school?"

Ranma had decided to go for a run after lunch, hoping to work out a weird feeling in his leg. It hadn't felt right since he had gotten off the plane. Ukyo had suddenly started jogging next to him as he passed the canal.

"I left at lunch to come find you!"

"Oh? Why's that?" Although he did have some idea.

"This morning, Akane's friend Yuka burst into class and said that not only had you and Akane gotten married, but that you, personally, would kill anyone who asked her a question or acted weird about it!"

Ranma laughed, still jogging. "Ha, and here I always thought Sayuri was the dramatic one."

"Ranchan!"

"What?"

"Weren't you going to tell me you got married? I'm your best friend!"

"Actually, I think Ryoga's my best friend."

"Your best friend that's a girl!"

"Well, that's Akane now, isn't it?"

"Ranchan!"

He stopped running, and bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he panted. "Okay, okay! You're my best friend that's a girl who is not Akane! I should have told you we were getting married!"

Ukyo had stopped with him, and crossed her arms. "You should have."

"To be fair," Ranma said, straightening his back. "We eloped. Part of eloping is not telling anybody."

"But after you came back! You should have told me!"

"I should have," agreed Ranma. "But it's just--Akane doesn't handle having a lot of attention on her very well."

"Well, she better get used to it," Ukyo said. "Because the whole town knows by now."

Ranma sighed. "Yeah, I figured."

"Are you really gonna kill anyone who asks her about it?"

Ranma shrugged one shoulder. "I might."

"Ranchan!"

"Listen, Ucchan--" Ranma sighed. "I know everybody's gonna gossip and ask about it. Just try to--I don't know, stop anybody from trying to throw us a surprise party or something. And if anyone has any questions, they can ask me, not Akane. Okay?"

"Okay," Ukyo agreed skeptically. "But one more question."

"What?"

"Have you told Ryoga yet?"

"I would've, but I haven't seen him."

"And how do you think he's going to react?"

"Aah--you said just one more question." He started to jog away.

"Ranchan!" she yelled after him.

"Sorry, Ucchan!" He turned, jogging backwards for a few steps. "Them's the rules!"

With a wave, he was gone.

* * *

"I'm home!"

Akane rested one hand on the wall as she took off her shoes in the entryway.

Ranma was walking downstairs, presumably from her bedroom.

Their bedroom.

"Hey, Akane! How was school?"

She bounced up and kissed him on the cheek. "Pretty good, actually."

"Oh?" He put his arms around her waist and smiled. "Glad to hear it."

"I am starving, though!"

"Now that you mention it, I could eat."

"Akane!"

Nodoka stood in the door leading to the living room.

"Hey, Auntie, do you mind if Ranma and I get something to eat? I know it's not dinner time yet--"

Nodoka stepped forward, blocking their way. "Why don't you two go upstairs? I'll bring you something."

"Don't be silly, Mom." Ranma gently pushed past her, leading Akane by the hand. "We can make ourselves some sandwiches or something."

"Wait--"

But it was too late. They had walked into the living room to see a large panda and Akane's father surrounded by a pile of gifts, envelopes, and flowers. 

"Akane! Ranma! You're home!" Soun looked up at them, alarmed, in the middle of opening an ornate gift box.

"What is all this?" Ranma asked.

"It's congratulatory presents," said Nodoka softly as she walked into the room. "I was hoping we could get them all sorted before you got home, but there were just so many."

The panda nodded in agreement, holding up a sign that said, _ Who knew you guys were so popular? _

"You mean all this is for us?" asked Akane.

She looked around the room. Her father. Ranma's father. Ranma's mother. Ranma. All staring at her with the same expression.

Fear.

"Excuse me," she whispered and ran out of the room.

"Akane--" 

Ranma moved to grab her by the wrist, but she was too fast. He let her go.

* * *

Akane was outside. She was still in her house slippers. No coat. No gloves. Fast. It was only a quarter mile until she found what she was looking for. She dug in her pocket, counting her change. Should be enough. 

With a sigh, she stepped into the phone booth, shutting the door behind her. Picked up the receiver. Dropped the coins into the slot. Dialed a number. Listened to it ring.

"Hello?"

"Toshiko-sensei!" Akane was trying not to cry.

"Akane-san? How good to hear your voice."

"Is it? Even though I only call you when I'm upset?"

"What are you talking about? You called to wish me merry Christmas."

"Is that the last time we talked?"

"It wasn't that long ago. Just over a month."

"I'm sorry."

"No need, Akane-san. Please, tell me what's troubling you?"

"I got married."

"Oh? Really? To Saotome-kun?"

"Yes."

"And you wanted to?"

"Yes!"

"I'm sorry, you told me once it was an arrangement your parents made. I was hoping they didn't force you into marriage before you were ready."

"They didn't. We eloped."

"Congratulations, then."

"Thank you. I really love him."

"I know you do."

"I'm happy to be married."

"That's good."

"But I--"

"Yes?"

"I'm still not happy! I thought I would be. That marrying Ranma would fix everything."

"That's not how things work, unfortunately."

"The worst part is he loves me so much. He always wants to help me. And I feel so selfish, because I want him to! I want him to protect me! Because it's the only thing that makes me feel better."

"I see."

"But how am I helping him? What good am I doing for him?"

"Well, I suppose you make him happy."

"No. I make him afraid."

"What do you mean?"

"He's scared to do anything that will hurt me. Today, a bunch of presents came in, to congratulate us. And he just looked at me like--and it wasn't just him. It was our parents, too. They were all scared of how I would react! About wedding presents! Nice things! They're scared I would have a meltdown about wedding presents! And you know the worst part?"

She sobbed, tightened her grip on the receiver, rested her forehead against the clear wall of the phone booth.

"They were right!"

A pause.

"I thought you said the worst part was that he loves you so much."

"What?"

"They can't all be the worst parts, Akane-san."

"Sensei."

"Yes?"

"I met a doctor in Hawaii, when we eloped. He gave me a number to another doctor, here. A psychiatrist."

"I see."

"Should I call?"

"You haven't yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Do you think I'm crazy, Toshiko-sensei?"

"No. I think you've been hurt, and need to heal. It's honestly something I've considered suggesting to you in the past, but I was unsure how you would react. That's my fault."

"No, I understand, I think."

"Are you going to be okay, Akane-san?"

"I think so."

"All right. Please keep in touch."

"I will."

They said their goodbyes. Akane hung up. Dug out one more coin. Dropped it in the slot. Picked up the receiver.

Dialed another number.

* * *

“Akane!”

Ranma shoved a bunch of letters and cards underneath the kotatsu as his wife walked into the room.

“Hey, everybody. I’m sorry I made you worry.” Akane took a seat next to him and tried to smile.

“Are you okay, Akane?” asked Nodoka. “Really?”

“I am, really! I would like to see the gifts.”

The others looked at each other for a brief moment before Ranma turned back to Akane. 

“Pah, it was honestly a lot of cheap junk. And most of the cards didn’t even have money in them!”

Akane giggled. “I guess Nabiki wasn’t around to keep everybody in line.”

“Some of them were angry messages, saying they already sent money for the first wedding.”

“Oh, well, I still do have that,” Akane said.

“You do?” asked Soun.

“Mmhmm. I made Nabiki give it to me after she invited a bunch of people who blew it up.”

Ranma laughed. “Serves her right.”

“Oh, we missed one,” Nodoka said, picking up a package in the corner of the room. She set it on top of the table. “Look, it came all the way from China!”

Akane could feel Ranma’s body stiffen next to her, frozen as he watched his mother open the package. 

A sealed barrel marked Nannichuan. 

Ranma’s eyes grew wide. He looked over at Akane, blinked. Turned back to the barrel. 

“I don’t want it,” he said. 

“Really, Ranma?” his mother asked. 

“Really,” said Ranma. “Pop can have it.”

His father, the panda, held up a sign that said  _ I don’t want it either. _

“What do you mean?” Ranma was on his feet, grabbing his father by the fur. “After everything we’ve gone through?”

_ I don’t want it! You take it! _

“I don’t want it!”

_ Me neither! _

“You just want to stay a panda because it gets you out of doing hard stuff!”

_ Bingo! _

“Ranma,” said Akane softly. 

He released the grip on his father and turned back to her. 

“Don’t you think there’s somebody else who might want it?” she asked.

Ranma filled his cheeks with air, exhaling before saying, “Yeah. I think I know a guy.”

“Well.” A sly smile crossed Akane’s lips. “I do think it’s a better gift than Kamapua’a.”


	16. Cure

Ranma and Akane spent their evening walking all over town, Ranma carrying the barrel of water. 

“Akane, he might not even be around,” he said, as they circled back along the canal. 

“I called Akari, he’s not there. And he was here just last week, Nabiki said. While we were gone.”

“Yeah, but knowing him, he could be in Hokkaido by now.”

“True, but we should at least try to look for him. We owe him that much.”

“I guess so.”

They continued searching, checking the various empty lots around Nerima, the woods, the park. Ryoga wasn’t anywhere. 

“I guess we should give up,” Ranma sighed, spinning the barrel on one finger as they turned back down the market street. “That idiot could be---EEE!”

Ryoga had emerged from an alleyway, looking disheveled, and ran directly into Ranma. Ranma dropped the barrel, watching in horror as it spun in the air, and letting out a sigh of relief when Akane caught it an inch before it hit the ground.

“Ryoga! Where have you been?” Ranma pushed his friend back in frustration.

“What are you talking about? Where have  _ you _ been?! Nabiki said you were on a training trip with me, and I just don’t know how that can be physically possible!”

“Ah, well--” Ranma started laughing nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Me and Akane, sorta, we, uh--”

“We got married!” exclaimed Akane, hugging the barrel tight. 

Ryoga looked at them in curiosity. “You did?”

“Y--yeah,” stuttered Ranma. “I wanted you to be there, but well, things just kinda happened.”

Ryoga stared at them in silence for a long while.

A very long while.

An extremely long while. 

An incredibly l--

“Are you gonna say something or what?!” Ranma demanded. 

Ryoga opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.

“Congratulations.”

He turned away. 

“That’s it?!” Ranma yelled. 

When Ryoga turned back around, he was sobbing. 

“I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH!”

Before they knew it, Ryoga had grabbed Ranma and Akane into a stupidly strong embrace, lifting them off the ground. Akane had just enough time to lift the barrel above her head to make sure Ryoga didn’t crush it as he squeezed the air out of their ribs. 

“All right, all right,” Ranma wheezed. “Thank you! Please, put us down!”

Ryoga, reluctantly, set his friends back down on the sidewalk. Akane took a few deep breaths, willing her lungs to expand again. 

“You should have invited me,” Ryoga said, his tears subsiding a little. 

“I agree,” said Ranma. “But look--”   


He took the barrel from Akane. Held it out to Ryoga. 

“We brought you a present!”

Ryoga looked down.

“Na-n-ni-chu-an?” Ryoga looked back up. “Nannichuan? For me?”

“Sure is, pal.”

“You don’t want it?”

Ranma shook his head, smiling. “Don’t need it anymore.”

Ryoga looked like he might cry again. Then, suddenly, he set his jaw and turned, waving one hand dismissively. 

“I don’t need it either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Akari accepted me for who I am. Just the way I am. I don’t need to change.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ranma asked in frustration. “We hiked all over town looking for you! You’re gonna take it!”

“I said I don’t want it!”

Ranma was shoving the barrel at Ryoga’s face as the other boy tried to push him away. “Come on, P-chan! Just take this incredibly generous gift I brought you!"

“I said no!” Ryoga punched Ranma in the face and ran away down the street.

“Come back here!”

And then they were chasing each other, volleying the barrel back and forth, exchanging dangerous blows as they made their way past rows of shops.

Akane followed after them, sighing. 

Eventually, Ryoga paused and turned to face Ranma as they stood near the corner of a building. 

“Come on, Ryoga, I’m trying to do something nice here!”

Ranma held out the barrel with one hand, his tone darker than his words. 

“For the last time, I don’t want it!”

Ryoga kicked the barrel out of Ranma’s hand and it went flying.

Up. Skywards. Open. 

And then it came back down, in a slow arc, the water making a curved stream in the air. 

And landed on someone else. 

Ranma and Ryoga turned in shock. 

“Ranma Saotome,” a voice growled. “What is the meaning of this?”

A very soaked Mousse, holding garbage bags, stood near the entrance of the Nekohanten, the broken pieces of the barrel stuck to his clothing. 

“Mousse,” said Ranma softly. “You--”

Mousse threw the bags down angrily. “You just barge over here, drench me with water--”

He froze. 

Patted his chest. 

Looked down at his hands. 

“Water.”

Ranma smiled. 

Mousse removed one of the pieces of barrel stuck to his robes. Lowered his glasses from the top of his head. Read the label. 

“Nannichuan.” He looked up at Ranma. “This is real? Not a trick?”

Ranma shook his head. “Not a trick.”

Mousse smiled. Bowed. Turned and ran inside the Nekohanten, yelling Shampoo’s name.

“Well, that all worked out,” Ranma said, sticking his hands in his pockets. 

“Somehow it always does, for you,” Ryoga muttered.

“You got that right,” Ranma agreed. “But don’t worry, I did get you another present!”

“Really? What?”

“Oh no,” Akane moaned, hiding her face in her hands.

* * *

“So, whaddya think?”

Ranma stood in front of the boar sculpture, having let the sides of the crate fall to the ground. He and Akane had left the crate in the backyard of the dojo, simply because there was no room for it in the house, and Ranma refused to answer his parents’ questions as to what was inside.

“Ranma,” Ryoga narrowed his brow and crossed his arms. “What is this?”

“It’s Kamapua’a!” replied Ranma, holding his hands out wide, as if that was all the explanation needed. 

Akane looked over at Ryoga with one eyebrow raised. He was silent, breathing intensely, staring at the large eyed carving with an indiscernible expression.

Ranma, however, was standing next to the statue, grinning like an idiot. 

“Ranma,” Ryoga said finally, his voice deep. His jaw was quivering. "I--I love it."

"You do?!" asked Akane.

"I knew you would!"

And then the two boys were hugging, patting each other on the back, exchanging expressions of gratitude through happy tears.

Akane stood off to the side, her hands in the air, looking around for someone to share in her confusion. But there was no one. 

Ranma and Ryoga pulled apart, grinning widely.

"Have you eaten yet, Ryoga? We have plenty of leftovers from dinner."

"Sure, sounds good, I--"

"PREPARE TO DIE!"

Koji jumped over the back wall, descending with a crack of his whip, a cloud of dirt rising from the impact of his landing.

"Oh, I forgot about this guy," Ranma sighed as he and Ryoga jumped out of the way.

"Hey!" 

Ryoga stomped over to Koji, noticing how close the whip had landed to Kamapua'a.

"That's a gift my best friend brought me from his honeymoon! If you so much as scratch it, I'll be really angry!"

Koji hesitated, looking the statue up and down. "Really? This thing?"

"Thank you!" exclaimed Akane, throwing her hands forward.

"Yes, really!"

Ryoga leaped in the air, aiming a punch down at Koji. It made contact with his chest, sending Koji flying backwards into the outer walls. Koji fell forward, trying to regain his breath.

"All right," he growled, rising to his feet. "Time for me to reveal my secret weapon!"

He reached into his jacket with his free hand, pulling out a second metal device. Dual wielding, he thrust both devices forward, causing them to wave and slap into the ground.

"So it's two whips then," said Ranma, bored.

"Yep, two whips," agreed Akane in a similar tone.

"Who the hell are you two anyway?!" Koji directed one of the whips at the couple, who easily leapt out of the way.

"Hey! This is our fight!" 

Ryoga rushed forward, and he and Koji clashed. They exchanged blows, fists and whips flying

Ranma and Akane both sat on the ground.

"Aah, it's cold!" whined Akane. "I want to go sit under the kotatsu!"

"Me too," agreed Ranma. "But I still wanna see how this plays out."

"It's gonna take forever," Akane said. "Ryoga doesn't want to hurt him, so he's holding back. But he can't just lose, either, he's too much like you."

"True," said Ranma. "Who knew we were so alike?"

An idea popped into Akane's mind.

"That's it!" She jumped to her feet, clenching her fists in front of her excitedly. "Ryoga-kun!"

Ryoga, one whip wrapped around his left arm, the other wrapped around his right leg, looked over at her. "I'm a little busy, Akane-san."

"Ryoga-kun! Do what you wanted Ranma to do!"

"What?"

"What could Ranma have done during your first fight to make you feel better? Do that!"

Ryoga looked back at her with wide eyes, blinked, and nodded. He turned back to Koji and furrowed his brow.

"All right, here it is!"

With his massive strength, Ryoga yanked the whips out of Koji's hands, throwing them aside. Cracking his knuckles, he took a few heavy steps forward towards the other boy.

"Bring it on!" Koji raised his arms defensively.

Ryoga lowered himself to his knees. Placed his hands on the ground in front of him. Bowed.

"I'm sorry."

"Wha-what are you doing?!" Koji sputtered. "Apologies won't cut it!"

"I understand," Ryoga replied, not lifting his head. "I've disrupted your life in an unforgivable way. I was careless, and self-centered. I should have paid more attention to my surroundings. If you choose to work your anger out on me, I will understand. If you choose to never forgive me, I will also understand. Regardless of your choice, I am truly remorseful, and if you would let me, I would like to help you repair your life, as best as I can."

Akane smiled, tears in her eyes. Ranma frowned.

Koji stared down at Ryoga in shock. He drew in a breath. Let it out. Fell to his knees, exhausted.

"Okay."

Ryoga lifted his head. "Really?"

Koji nodded. "I forgive you. If you promise to help me."

Ryoga sat up, grinning earnestly. "I promise."

"You mean that's all I had to do?!" Ranma stood up and crossed his arms.

"Would you have done it?" Akane asked.

Ranma turned his head away, pouting. "No."

"Well, that's why things worked out the way they did. Come," she said, slipping her arm in his. "Let's go inside. The kotatsu is waiting."

"What about those two?" Ranma titled his head in the direction of Koji and Ryoga, who were now making awkward but friendly conversation.

"Oh, I think they're about to go on a new adventure, all on their own," replied Akane.

Ranma frowned again. He removed his arm from Akane's.

"Hang on a sec, okay?"

"Sure."

Ranma jogged a few steps over to Ryoga.

"Ryoga!"

"Yeah?"

"We're still best friends, right bud?"

Ryoga grinned, flashing his fangs. He flexed one arm forward. Ranma smiled and did the same, interlocking their arms at the elbows.

"For life!"

"For life!"

Akane rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Seriously, who is this guy?" Koji asked.

Ryoga released Ranma's arm, still grinning. He turned back to Koji.

"He's my brother."


	17. Amends

"So how was your appointment?"

With an  _ oof _ , Ranma and Akane let the mattress fall into their new bed frame. He had spent the morning assembling it while she was out, and now they were decorating their new room together.

"It was good." Akane sat on the bare mattress, and Ranma took a seat beside her.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Did he--give you medicine?"

"Yeah. He said it might take a few weeks to start working though."

"But it will work? It will help?"

"Maybe. He seemed hopeful."

"That's good."

He took her hand.

"Hey, Ranma."

"Yeah?"

"I told him. Everything. About us. Or as much as I could in an hour."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And he said--" Akane removed the scarf she had been wearing in her hair to keep out dust and started twisting the fabric between her fingers. "He said he thinks that--me and you--might be--a little--codependent."

"What does that mean?"

"That we depend on each other too much."

"Well, yeah, of course we do."

"No, Ranma." She sighed. "Like in an unhealthy way."

"Do you think so?"

"Maybe."

"I see."

"So, Ranma--"

"Yeah?"

"I just--I'm gonna need some space."

"You're breaking up with me?"

"No! No, never! I've just decided. I'm going away for university. On my own. Come home on the weekends, holidays. That way I can be independent, even just a few days a week."

"I'm confused. Wasn't that always the plan?"

"It was. But lately, I, oh, I was thinking of not going. Just staying here, with you."

"But you have to go!"

"Really? You think so?"

"Yeah, you're the smart one."

She laughed. "You can be pretty smart too, Ranma."

"Well, that's true."

He was grinning.

"So you're okay? With me going?"

She swung her legs over his lap. Draped one arm behind his neck. Using one hand, she started playing idly with his hair.

"I mean, I'm not happy you're leaving me alone with our parents." He put his arm over her legs, pulling her calves close."But as long as you're not breaking up with me, I'm happy."

"You're not getting rid of me that easy."

They kissed.

"Hey, Akane."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I can talk to that doctor too?"

"I thought you weren't upset."

"I'm not, I just--" He swallowed. "Sometimes, I--well, you're not the only one who has trouble sleeping alone."

"Oh, Ranma. You were so concerned with me, I should have noticed. You get the same way as me sometimes, huh?"

"I mean--" He shrugged. "Maybe. Not as bad."

"Doesn't mean it's not worth caring about."

She stroked his jaw, looking deep into his eyes. "If he can't see both of us, I bet he can recommend someone."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You don't think I'm--weak? For asking?"

"Don't be stupid. You're the strongest man I know." She kissed him. "In every way."

"Well," he sighed. Slowly, he moved his hand up her calf, to her thigh, and then a little higher. "We only have a couple months left until you leave. Better make the most of it."

"Ranma! There's not even sheets on the bed."

"Good, nothing to mess up."

"Ranma!"

But she was laughing as he kissed her, giggling as he pushed up the bottom of her shirt, running his fingertips lightly over her stomach. He kissed her neck, her collarbone, moving his lips lower, his hand higher--

"Akane, have you seen--"

Her father had opened the door, wide, just as Ranma had finished unclasping her bra.

"Dad!" Akane screamed and pulled her shirt down, jumping away from Ranma. "What are you doing?!"

"In my own house! In my own house!" Soun wailed, covering his eyes with both hands.

"We're married!" shrieked Akane. "This is what you wanted to happen!"

"I didn't want to see it!"

"Then you should learn to knock!" shouted Ranma.

"How dare you yell at me after defiling my daughter under my own roof?!"

"It's not defiling if we're married!"

"Dad, get out!"

"My little girl, yelling at me--"

"Tendo-kun."

Genma appeared behind his friend, patting him on the shoulder.

"Saotome-kun?"

"What do you say to a game of shogi, hmm? The children have lots of work to do up here."

"But, Saotome-kun--"

"Trust me, it's for the best."

As they turned away, Genma looked over his shoulder, winked at Ranma, and gave him a thumbs up. 

Ranma, stunned for a second, slowly grinned and returned the gesture. As their fathers left, Ranma jumped up and slammed the door behind them, making sure it was locked.

"Now where were we?" he asked, spinning around to face Akane.

"Forget it, I'm not in the mood anymore." She sighed and stood up, placing the scarf back on her head.

"Oh."

Ranma's shoulders slumped with ultimate disappointment.

"Here," she said, tossing a set of sheets at him. "Help me make the bed."

* * *

"Good afternoon ladies!"

Ranma entered the dojo to teach his self defense class, again in his female form and oversized gi. His smile faded when he saw that the class size had dwindled massively.

"Why are there only eight of you?" he asked, frowning 

"Well, sensei," said a woman named Kozue, shifting her weight back and forth on her feet. "Some of the other women were disappointed that not only were you teaching us as a girl, but that you've gotten married."

Ranma threw his hands up over his head. "Doesn't anyone care about learning self defense?"

Kozue shared a glance with the other women. "I mean, we do."

Ranma sighed. "You're right. Thanks for sticking with me. Now, for our lesson today--"

"Wait, sensei!" Kozue spoke again. "We're still mad at you!"

"What? Why?"

"You totally skipped out on our last lesson without a word! If you keep being so irresponsible, it's really going to affect your reputation!"

Ranma tilted his head to the side. "You're right. I'm sorry. Truly. I disrupted your lives with my carelessness, and I am truly remorseful. If you would let me, I would like to make amends."

"Well it's not that serious," muttered Kozue.

Ranma sighed. "Enough of that, then. Let's begin!"

* * *

"Ranma, I thought we were going to run together this morning?"

Akane stood bleary eyed on the stairs, still in her pajamas.

"Sorry, Akane. I got something I gotta do," Ranma said, lacing up his sneakers. "Meet you at the canal in thirty minutes?"

"Okay." She yawned. "Don't take too long."

He stood, and tilted his long, lean body forward so he could kiss her on the forehead.

"I won't."

And he was off.

He jogged down several streets, around the corner. Inhaling cold air deep into his lungs. Ignoring the ache in his leg, the metal ringing with each step. The sun had only just started to come up. Hopefully he would make it on time.

Ranma reached the house he was looking for, a shabby one story dwelling set close to the street. He could see the light on inside through the windows, but as he approached, it flicked off. 

He paused by the front door, rocking back and forth on his heels for a few seconds, until a woman emerged. 

Hidaka-san. Yusuke's mother. 

She was bundled up for the cold, purse over her shoulder, uncomfortable shoes on her feet. When she saw Ranma, she sighed deeply.

"Can I help you, sensei?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to say--sorry."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah, sorry for being rude to you. Sorry for saying your kid sucks. Sorry for calling him a little shit."

"Well." A smile played at the corner of her lips. "Sometimes he is a little shit."

Ranma smiled. "Still, I shouldn't have lost my temper. He's just a kid."

"So are you, though, aren't you?" she asked. "I appreciate your apology. You know--"

She hesitated. Fiddled with the house keys in her hand. "I probably shouldn't have barged into your house like that. But it's just me and Yusuke, and as you know, he can be a lot. I don't always handle things the way I should. It can be overwhelming."

"I guess even adults have problems, huh?"

"Yes. They do."

"Hey, listen if he wants to come back to class, he can. Free of charge."

"Thank you for the offer, sensei. I'll ask him, but I won't force him to take you up on it." She paused, tilted her head to the side. "Although, maybe some discipline would do him good."

He flashed her a toothy grin. "It might."

"Now excuse me, I have to get to work."

"Oh, sure. See ya."

She bowed her head slightly in farewell, and he moved aside as she walked down the street towards the train station. He watched her for a moment, then turned and headed for the canal.

Akane was already waiting, leaning back against the fence, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, her hands behind her, fingers entwined in the chain links. She smiled as she saw him approach, her cheeks pink from the cold.

"Hey, Akane!"

He stood next to her, facing the fence. Grabbing the top with both hands, he braced his feet against the base and bent his body backwards, stretching out his back.

"Hey." She turned and leaned her elbow casually on top of the fence. "So are you gonna tell me what you had to do?"

"Had to make amends," Ranma replied, straightening up. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Akane rested her head against his chest, wrapping one arm around his back. Together they watched the water flow through the canal, the wind whipping through their clothes.

"It's so cold," said Akane. "I can't believe I have to go to school today still."

"Yeah, that's rough. I think I'll stay inside today, under the kotatsu. Drinking cocoa. Just relaxing."

"Ranma! Don't tease me!"

"But it's my favorite thing to do. A man's gotta have hobbies, Akane."

"Find a new one."

"You know, I think I might."

* * *

“I’m home!”

Akane slipped off her shoes in the entryway, removing her jacket, scarf, and gloves. 

“Aah, something smells wonderful,” she commented, walking into the living room. 

Just Ranma was there, sitting at the kotatsu, smiling up at her. There were several pillows piled all around, and plates full of cookies and sticky buns and muffins on top of the table. 

“What’s all this?” she asked, smiling. 

“Well,” Ranma grinned and stood up. “I managed to convince my mom to take my dad, and your dad, away for the weekend, to some hot springs. So it’s just us. All alone. All weekend.”

“Oh?” Akane moved closer to him, still smiling. “And all the sweets?”

“I made them.”

“You? Really?”

“I spent the whole day baking.”

“So this is your new hobby?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“I love it.”

“One more thing.” He leaned down, picked up a thick plastic case from the table. “I rented your favorite movie to watch.”

Akane looked down at the yellow cover of the display case.  _ A Scene at the Sea _ . 

Her smile grew even wider. 

“That’s funny, because you know, I stopped at the rental place after school too,” she said, rummaging in her school bag. 

Ranma’s face fell. “Don’t tell me you already rented--”

She pulled out a case of her own. “Your favorite movie.”

_ “Die Hard?!” _

He grabbed her in a passionate embrace. 

“Akane, thank you!”

“You’re still this excited? You must’ve watched it forty-five times.”

“It gets better every time.”

She put an arm around his neck, lifting herself up as he leaned down to kiss her. 

“Yes,” she said. “I suppose it does.”

Together, they made themselves comfortable, underneath the blanket of the kotatsu, snuggling as far down into it as they could, letting the heat warm their bodies. Holding each other, watching movies, dropping cookie crumbs everywhere. Finally calm. Finally alone. At home.

Outside, it began to snow.


	18. The Birth

"Oi! Wake up!"

Nabiki sleepily banged on the door of the room next to hers with her fist. The other residents of the shabby boarding house were fast asleep, but she didn't care about waking them up. They certainly never cared about keeping her awake with their shenanigans.

A petite girl with a pigtail opened the door, dressed only in a tank top and boxers.

"Whaddya want, Nabiki? Sun ain't even up."

"Ranma? Weren't you a boy when you got here last night?"

"Maybe."

"Ugh, is Akane awake?"

Ranma grinned lasciviously. "She's out for a while."

"First of all, ew. Secondly, you better wake her up."

"What? Why?"

Nabiki grinned. "Kasumi's having the baby."

Ranma's eyes widened and he turned around, yelling.

"Oi! Akane! It's time!"

The three of them dressed as quickly as possible and ran to the train station, Ranma still buttoning his shirt. Akane anxiously tapped her foot for the entire ride while Nabiki pretended to sleep.

When Akane had moved into the room next to hers nearly four months ago, it had been a complete surprise. A planned surprise, on the part of Akane. She and Ranma also spent the moving-in weekend together, and were quite rowdy. But not much more rowdy than her other neighbors, so that was something. Akane went home most weekends, more often than Nabiki. But every once in a while, Ranma came up to visit instead, and he and Akane tended to get quite loud.

This was a situation Nabiki found less and less amusing as time went on, and hence, her attempt to ignore them on the train.

"We're here!" Akane announced as they reached their stop, jumping up and rushing out of the train doors as soon as they opened.

"Hey, Akane, wait up!"

"We could just take a taxi!"

But the hospital wasn't far from the train station and it didn't take them long to run. The summer sun was beating down, the streets hazy with heat. They tumbled through the sliding doors of the hospital, grateful for the blast of air conditioning. 

"I hope we made it--oof!"

Akane bumped into Nodoka as she rounded the corner into the waiting room.

"Aah, I'm sorry! Is it too late?"

"No, no," Nodoka laughed, patting her daughter-in-law on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she hasn't had the baby yet. Should be soon, though, she's making good progress--"

_ "I WILL KILL YOU!!" _

Nabiki blinked. "Was that--"

"--Kasumi?" Akane finished. 

"And her room's all the way at the end of the hallway, too," said Nodoka, covering her mouth with her hand.

_ "AAAAAUUUGHHHHH!" _

This scream was even louder, although more incomprehensible. Nodoka quickly led the group to Kasumi's room, where Soun, Genma, and Tofu waited outside of the door, looking terrified.

"Tofu, you should be with your wife!" Nodoka said disapprovingly.

"Sh-sh-she said she never wants to see another man ever again."

Akane looked over at Ranma. "Good thing we didn't have time for hot water then, huh?"

_ "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL EVERYONE!" _

"Jeez, what kind of demon is she squeezing out in there?"

"Ranma!"

Nodoka opened the door a crack to stick her head in. "Kasumi? May we come in?"

"No men!!"

"No worries, we're all girls here," said Nabiki as she, Ranma, and Akane entered behind Ranma's mother.

The doctor crouched at the foot of the bed was meekly trying to give instructions to a sweating and panting Kasumi.

"N-n-now, Ono-san, with this next contraction, try and push for me please."

"HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO?"

"Now, now, Kasumi," Nodoka said, walking over to the bed and placing a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. "The faster you listen to him, the faster this will all be over, hmm?"

Kasumi grunted angrily, but nodded. Suddenly, she glared over at her sisters. "Listen to me! Don't ever let a man do this to you!"

Ranma snickered. 

"What is so funny?" demanded Akane.

"I've been waiting for Kasumi to snap for years. This is great."

"You really are a jerk sometimes, you know that?"

"Oh yeah, I know."

They were interrupted by another scream from Kasumi, who started crying and clutching onto the sleeves of Nodoka's kimono.

"I can't do it! I can't!"

"Of course you can!" Nodoka smiled, although a few tears were starting in her eyes as well. "You're so strong!"

"No! Not like Akane! Not like Nabiki! They're the strong ones!"

"You're just as strong as they are! Now, push!"

_ "AaaaaAAAH!" _

Ranma stuck his arm out of the door and yanked Tofu in by his shirt.

"Get in here, man!"

"But she said--"

"Shut up, doc, ya gotta see your kid get born!"

"Okay, one more good push, Ono-san, and--"

"AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"You did it! See?" 

The sound of a newborn baby wailing for the first time. 

"I have--a daughter--"

"Steady, doc."

"Oh, Kasumi--Dad! Get in here!"

"Did it--? I'm a grandpa."

"Yes, you are."

As furious as she had been moments before, Kasumi radiated the same amount of peaceful joy as her new daughter was placed into her arms. Nodoka eased herself off the bed and Tofu took her place to sit with his wife. Everyone was smiling and crying a little bit, even Nabiki.

Ranma took Akane's hand.

"She's beautiful," Kasumi sighed, marveling over the baby's tiny fingers. 

"Do you have a name picked out?" asked Nabiki.

Kasumi and Tofu shared a warm look.

"Oh my, yes," said Kasumi. "Mirai."

"Mirai," repeated Ranma. "It's nice."

"Yes," said Tofu. "She's our future, after all."

Eventually, after many happy and tearful congratulations, the rest of the family started filtering out of the room to leave the new parents alone. 

Ranma took a seat in the waiting room, ripping open a candy bar he had fetched from the vending machine with his teeth.

"I'm starving," he moaned.

"Me too," said Akane. She sat next to him and bent her legs underneath her on the seat of the chair. "We didn't have breakfast."

"Want some?" He tilted the candy bar in her direction.

"Yes please."

"Ah! Big bite!"

"It's good," she said, half of the candy filling her mouth. "I'll buy you a second one."

"You better."

"Hey, Ranma."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, which was easy as they were nearly the same height like this.

"Yeah?"

"You still want kids, don't you?"

"Sure. Don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Wait, why are you asking? Are you pregnant?"

"No, not yet."

"Good."

"Have you ever thought about names?"

"Like for a baby?"

"Yeah."

"I have a great one, if it's a boy."

"Oh? Tell me, tell me!"

He whispered it into her ear.

"Ranma! That's perfect!"

"I know it is."

"And if it's a girl?"

"Hmm. Well, we could go with Ranko."

"Absolutely not."

"You got a better idea?"

"No, I haven't thought of anything."

He put his arm around her. Held her close.

"Don't worry," he said. "We have plenty of time."


	19. Author's Notes

Author's notes, at the end, so you can skip them if you wish.

Ah, here it is, the sequel to The Sound of a Heartbeat. Shorter, simpler. Mushier and gushier. After all the hurt and heartache I put those kids through the first go round, I just wanted to write about their wedding and honeymoon. Of course, weddings don't fix all problems. 

The issues with writing about mental health are many. It is treated very differently in Japan, and without outside influence, it is virtually impossible that Ranma or Akane would have sought out a psychiatrist in the 90's on their own. So, things have started shifting in this universe that I've created, but hopefully not too much. 

When I started writing this, I had no idea Ranma was going to have such a conflict with his mother. Or that Nodoka and Nabiki would develop any kind of friendship. It's interesting how a story goes where you need it to, even when you don't have deliberate intentions. 

The original idea for this series was three parts! The third part most likely being the longest, and extremely unwieldy. But while writing this, I had an idea for another story, that will become the third part of this series, and the third part will become the fourth part. I hope I explained that properly. Anyway, the next part will have Ryoga in it a lot more! I enjoyed writing him so much in the first part, that I was actually disappointed with myself with how little he appeared in this story. But I couldn't exactly have him third-wheeling around a honeymoon, could I?

Well, maybe I could've. It might've been funny. 

Hope you guys enjoyed the descriptions of sorting out legally binding paperwork. And how about Ranma with the crocodile bit, big Jason Mendoza energy. And if I got anything factually incorrect, uh, AU! It's AU. Yep. 

Oh, and I included a sex scene. Which is terrifying for me! Not that I've never written a sex scene, but it is the first time I ever put one where someone else could read it. And I really was not attempting any sort of reality with it, either. Two eighteen year old virgins doing it for the first time on their wedding night are highly unlikely to be any good at sex at all. Nor was I particularly concerned with writing about birth control or whatever. This is fiction, this is fantasy. I just wanted to write something sweet, and hopefully a little funny. This is not meant to be morally responsible sex education, here.

So I suppose that's all, for now. Thank you very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. There is more to come. 


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